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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26011756">Day of Wrath [Doom 2016/Eternal rewrite]</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfinityPilot/pseuds/InfinityPilot'>InfinityPilot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Day of Wrath [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doom (Video Games), Doom 2016, Doom Eternal - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Arcane - Freeform, Brutal, Cosmic, Dark, Demons, Doom, Epic, Fantasy, Gen, Gore, Gritty, Hell, Horror, Science Fantasy, Science Fiction, Science Fiction &amp; Fantasy, Violence, mature - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:00:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>94,581</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26011756</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfinityPilot/pseuds/InfinityPilot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A hundred years ago, the mysterious Phobos Event occurred. Classified by the UAC as a "mining accident," Phobos is now permanently quarantined while Deimos is just gone. No bodies or survivors were ever found.<br/>The year is 2149, and the UAC holds dominion as the undisputed superpower in the Solar System, leader in the fields of energy, aerospace, and defense. Their crowning achievement, Argent Power, has revolutionized physics and brought clean renewable energy to a world in crisis.<br/>But that is about to change. Deep in the heart of the UAC Mars Base, recovered directly from a prison tomb in Hell itself, is a lone stone sarcophagus. Containing not artifacts, not demon, but a man. A living human being in perfect hibernation. The man has been identified as a long-lost Space Marine, the only known survivor of the Phobos Event.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Day of Wrath [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1887982</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Fight Like Hell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I told them one <strong>Day</strong>, I'd become the most powerful being across the dimensions.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And they told me to go to Hell.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So you know what?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I did.</em>
</p><p> </p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>"Pray not for God's word, but for His silence.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Pray not for God's grace, but for His apathy.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Pray not for God's blessing, but for His abandon.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Above all, fear. Fear His contempt. Fear His disgust. Fear His <strong>wrath</strong>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Pray, plead, and beg, with every fiber of your soul, that God's <strong>wrath</strong> does not find you."</em>
</p><p>- Book of Corrax, chapter 16</p><p> </p><p>Red. Bright flashing red. A siren loudly blared as the strobing light pierced the darkness.</p><p>A glowing crimson mark burned overhead. A flaming sword, crowned by Four Sigils of Ascension, striking down the fires of Hell.</p><p>Hell.</p><p>Hell.</p><p>He remembered the violence, the carnage, the chaos. The Black Mountains, the Blood Temple, the world crumbling at his feet and the very sky crashing down on him, trapping him in a dark stone prison.</p><p>But that was over.</p><p>The Marine was awake, and he was very much alive. His heart beat strong and steady in his chest, his breaths deep and invigorating. He lay bound on his back by thick metal chains, the top of his sarcophagus lifted and his slumber at long last broken.</p><p>A new sound drew the Marine’s attention. A harsh guttural groaning coming from his right side, accompanied by the unmistakable smell of putrefied flesh. Things he knew all too well. He turned his head to find a zombified human standing only a few meters away. Its flesh hung off its bones in thick, sloughy folds, a deep gaping hole in its skull where the eyes should have been. The tattered white clothes it wore identified it as a former scientist, not a grave threat but still capable of injuring the chained Marine. With a fresh surge of determination, the Marine tore his right arm free of its restraints and smashed it into the creature’s face, feeling blood roar in his ears as he grabbed the zombie’s head and crushed it against the edge of the coffin.</p><p>The Marine tore his remaining arm free as well only to hear the same grotesque groaning continue. There were another three zombies in the room, all facing him and shambling in his direction. In a fraction of a second he leapt at the nearest one and tore its head off its shoulders. Balling his hands into fists he swiftly dispatched another one, quick precise blows crushing its skull and breaking its spine. The last zombie on the other side of the room never saw the Marine leap over the sarcophagus and kick it down, caving in its head with a single furious stomp.</p><p>If there were zombies here, there would be other demons as well. Bigger and stronger. The Marine was bare and carried nothing but his now bloody fists, and within his bones he could feel a great weariness. He had slept for too long, his forced repose and whatever enchantments cast upon him having drained his strength. If he was to push on he’d need tools. He needed his armor, and he needed-</p><p>A hard irregular object beneath the Marine’s foot caught his attention. He looked down to find himself stepping on a grey handgun. The Marine picked it up. It was an old weapon, the metal dull and the wooden grip scratched. There were five bullets in the magazine. Too light and weak to worry anything past small fry, but it was all he had.</p><p>Loading the pistol, the Marine walked up to a placard on the wall. It was a simple diagram describing the layout of the outpost he found himself in, a certain Site 03. There was the sarcophagus room, comms room, loading dock, Praetor research room-</p><p>There it was. Memorizing the diagram, the Marine turned to the door. It was a simple glass-and-metal barrier, the access pad glowing faintly on the wall beside, but the Marine needed to prove something. With a strong kick the metal bars broke and the reinforced glass went flying. The Marine smirked. So his strength wasn’t entirely gone.</p><p>Setting off into the pitch-black corridor, the Marine kept his gaze keen and his weapon ready. He didn’t know the extent of this demonic incursion and needed to take the necessary steps as quickly as possible, but before that he needed his suit. He passed various dim hallways and locked rooms, his eyes constantly darting on the search for any potential threat. Blood splatters stained the walls, occasionally streaking off beneath some door or into some dark recess.</p><p>The Marine turned a corner to find a group of zombies huddled along the corridor. Alerted to his presence, the Marine sprung to action.</p><p>Seven heads, five bullets.</p><p><em>PEW PEW!</em> Two zombies slumped to the floor, the holes in their heads faintly smoking.</p><p><em>PEW! </em>The bullet entered another’s skull but at a shallow angle, and the creature was still standing. <em>PEW! </em>A second shot finally dropped it.</p><p><em>BANG! </em>The Marine grimaced as buckshot tore his flesh. The zombie at the far end was a former soldier, decked in tan body armor and a long shotgun in its hands. But it was not like the other zombies around it; its posture was sharp and focused, its red eyes glowing with knowing malice. As the soldier reloaded its firearm, the Marine took aim.</p><p><em>PEW! </em>But the soldier dodged the shot, rolling out of the way at the very last second and raising its shotgun.</p><p>Quick as lightning, the Marine grabbed the nearest zombie by the neck and held it aloft. The soldier fired and the Marine’s meat shield blocked the shot, but it wouldn’t last much longer. The Marine charged as the soldier reloaded his weapon and took aim.</p><p><em>BANG!</em> The zombie’s guts blew out in a sloughy mess. <em>BANG! </em>The legs fell off as its spine was severed. One more shot and the Marine’s meat shield would be done for.</p><p><em>BANG! </em>The zombie crumbled apart in the Marine’s hands, and he was left holding nothing but a bloody head. Close enough to attack, he lobbed the head at the soldier before it could fire again. The soldier faltered as the head struck it, and the Marine shifted his grip on his handgun. He struck the soldier with the pistol butt before finishing it off with a quick uppercut.</p><p>Momentarily dropping his guard, the Marine saw the soldier’s shotgun was directly fused with its arm, fleshy tendrils snaking all along the weapon’s casing and components. It was clearly far too corrupted to remove, but surely there would be a suitable replacement nearby. He noted a pistol magazine attached to the soldier’s belt. A piquing idea forming in his mind, the Marine discarded the empty clip from his handgun and focused on the fresh one on the floor.</p><p>In the blink of an eye, the clip leapt from the floor to the Marine’s waiting pistol, smoothly sliding in with a satisfying click. The Marine cracked a smile. Some things are never forgotten.</p><p>A painful blow to the back shattered the Marine’s moment. He’d forgotten about the last two zombies, who had finally caught up to him. His anger resurging, he tore one’s arm off and struck the creature down with it before kicking in the other’s knee and twisting its head off. As they crumbled into putrid heaps on the floor, thin wisps of scarlet energy rose from the corpses and were absorbed by the Marine, his wounds closing in a faint red glow. The Marine let out a sigh as his vitality was restored.</p><p>Turning his sight down the corridor he found he’d arrived at his destination, the object of his search on the other side of a glass-and-steel door. The door slid up as he approached, and he took a moment to admire his most prized possession.</p><p>There, embedded within an ancient stone altar, was the Praetor Suit. Nicked and scarred with the marks of a thousand battles, its joints encrusted with countless layers of dried blood and dirt, but still in one piece and seemingly functional. He approached the suit and placed his hand on it.</p><p>Madness.</p><p>Mind-splitting madness.</p><p>Before his eyes passed countless nightmarish visions, each one more terrible than the last.</p><p>A masked figure in crimson cloak. A flaming sword. A towering monstrosity born of flesh and metal. The Key Holder becoming one with the Master. The Deagic Council of Three. A golden being of a thousand faces. The Blasphemous One, with four burnt wings and in its head a-</p><p>The Marine cleared his mind and forced his eyes to open. Only a few seconds had passed, but to him they felt an eternity. The curse had worn off, and he noticed the small red bulb on the Praetor Suit’s breastplate blinking to life. Electricity sparked across the suit’s exterior as its systems activated, and with a single thrust it broke free from the stone altar, setting loose a cascade of pebbles on the hard floor. Holding its arms out, the suit unfolded in anticipation of its wearer’s arrival. After the briefest pause, the Marine set his pistol down on a nearby monitor and walked up to the suit, placing himself inside. He couldn’t help but feel a wave of warm familiarity wash over him as the armor closed itself around him, its parts sealing shut to leave not the slightest seam behind. The helmet came down over his head as the suit’s neural interface linked with him, and the augmented reality visor came online.</p><p>…RESTORING SYSTEM…SYSTEM PARTIALLY RESTORED</p><p>SEVERAL MODULES ARE DAMAGED AND/OR NON-OPERATIONAL</p><p>…COMMENCING REBOOT…</p><p>The Marine stared in grim silence. His Praetor Suit was damaged too? With weakened body <em>and </em>disabled equipment, stopping the infernal legions would be much more difficult. A counter come to view on the lower-left corner of his HUD:</p><p>ARMOR – 0</p><p>HEALTH – 100</p><p>A clean bill of health, but that didn’t worry him. With mental commands, he accessed his suit’s directory and brought up his weapon cache. After ages of fighting demons across worlds and realms, he’d accumulated a veritable armory of strange and powerful weapons. Hopefully he could use them.</p><p>To his dismay, the cache was unresponsive. The weapon files remained in the directory, but selecting them produced an error message:</p><p>ERROR: STORAGE MATRIX HAS BEEN CORRUPTED – REPAIR IS REQUIRED</p><p>PRESENT ARSENAL IS CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE</p><p>He couldn’t access his arsenal? This human facility wouldn’t offer more than meager armaments, hardly fit for slaying demonic hordes, and he didn’t have the time or means to repair his Praetor Suit here. How was he supposed to stop the invasion?</p><p>Concerned, the Marine ran a system diagnostic and studied the results. Fortunately, the fabrication modules were fully operational, which meant a dependable supply of munitions, armor, and equipment. He’d even be able to construct new tools and incorporate them into his system, if he found the right resources.</p><p>But the inertia drive was damaged, which meant no dashing, no teleporting, no flying. The Vanguard Gauntlet was disabled, the Equipment Cycler was offline, and the Invictus Shield was completely destroyed. The Marine sighed. This complicated matters.</p><p>He stared at the pistol still lying on the terminal. He picked it up and stared as thin blue bolts arced from his hand to the weapon, just as its schematics and operation data appeared displayed on his HUD. The suit was scanning the pistol at the molecular level, reverse-engineering it, improving it.</p><p>M1911 SEMIAUTOMATIC PISTOL ACQUIRED</p><p>SYNCHRONIZATION TO AUTOMATIC FEED AND STORAGE MATRIX COMPLETE</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – BULLETS</p><p>SECONDARY FIRING MODE – RAPID FIRE</p><p>A second counter appeared on his HUD’s lower-right corner, displaying his current ammo count and the handgun’s silhouette as a small icon beside it. The Marine blew air out his nose in displeasure. At least he could add new items to his repository, but it didn’t mean much if he couldn’t get his hands on bigger and better tools.</p><p>Putting the pistol away for the time being – which seemed to suddenly vanish into thin air – he turned his attention to the monitor he’d placed it on.</p><p>DEMONIC INVASION IN PROGRESS</p><p>If nothing else, these people were certainly observant. The Marine noticed the date displayed in the screen’s corner: October 2149. Had it been so long already? Or perhaps, so little? He sighed. It didn’t matter. Time didn’t mean what it used to.</p><p>Returning to the task at hand, he pressed a button labeled STATUS REPORT and waited for the command for load.</p><p>…INITIATING SCAN…SCAN INCOMPLETE</p><p>REPORT ERROR</p><p>SATELLITE DISH ARRAY: OFFLINE</p><p>The Marine wouldn’t be able to determine the cause of the invasion until the array malfunction was corrected, which the network placed at a Resource Operations facility. He traced the position of the faulty satellite dish, downloading the geographic data to his suit’s operating system when an incoming voice comm appeared on the screen.</p><p>“<em>Welcome.</em>” It was a robotic voice, deep and resonating. “<em>I’m Dr. Samuel Hayden, I’m the head of this facility. I think we can work together-” </em>And that’s as far as the voice went before the Marine punched the monitor, the screen shattering and the whole terminal crashing loudly against the wall.</p><p>The Marine turned back where he came from and set off towards the outpost’s exit. His stride was slightly more confident navigating the dark halls wearing full armor as opposed to nothing at all, and he allowed his posture to relax somewhat.</p><p>As he approached an access port he noticed a bloodied figure lying outstretched beneath said door. It was the corpse of a soldier in tan armor, its torso cleanly severed by the downward force of the door above it. But what drew the Marine’s attention was the object still clenched in its hands, a long silvery pump-action shotgun. The Marine pried it from the corpse’s fingers and turned it over, admiring its craftsmanship and simple but sturdy design.</p><p>DS-117 COMBAT SHOTGUN ACQUIRED</p><p>SYNCHRONIZATION TO AUTOMATIC FEED AND STORAGE MATRIX COMPLETE</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – SHELLS</p><p>SECONDARY FIRING MODE – SHRAPNEL SHOT</p><p>The Marine’s brow furrowed in irritation. The Praetor Suit’s reboot clearly reset its system configurations, these HUD notifications intruding on his field of view. Through the suit’s neural interface, he accessed its HUD settings and deactivated notifications for redundant information.</p><p>…SAVING CHANGES…CHANGES COMPLETE</p><p>The Marine humphed as he stooped to pry the door open, immediately noticing the harsh ardent smell reminiscent of burning sulfur. His shotgun was cocked and ready by the time the nimble figure jumped down from pipes hanging from the ceiling. It was a pathetic creature: brown and hunched, with exposed teeth, smoking claws, and pale spikes protruding from its body. The intention to open its mouth to roar briefly crossed the imp’s brain before it was splattered across the wall by 12-gauge buckshot.</p><p>The Marine was about to take off without a second thought before he noticed the shotgun was almost empty, holding only five shells in storage. His anger spiking, the Marine turned to kick the bottom half of the soldier’s corpse to pick up any additional ammo it might have carried. Sure enough three shotgun clips flew out, raising his shell count from five to twenty. The Marine turned to leave with a vein still throbbing in his temple.</p><p>He was in the loading dock, a long empty chamber with ramps and doors leading to other parts of the facility, a few red barrels scattered atop pallet jacks. In the center stood a large gaping organic construct, its mouth sparking with glowing red portal and a small crowd of huddled figures prostrated around it. He recognized the scene but had no time for the Gore Nest or the zombies worshipping it, rather sidestepping them to head for the bulkhead door at the far end of the room. It was sealed though, a bright red holographic display reading ACCESS DENIED.</p><p>“<em>Demonic presence at unsafe levels</em>,” the facility’s automated voice system announced. “<em>Lockdown in effect</em>.”</p><p>The Marine promptly punched the door but it would not open, the thick metal denting but not breaking. His rage surging past its breaking point, he tore off back where the Gore Nest and zombies still kneeled in unholy adoration. With a flying kick he broke the Nest apart and crushed its heart beneath his feet just as he drew his pistol. The zombies fell with single well-placed shots as the dying Gore Nest released a hellish screech, its death cry a call for reinforcement. The Marine had already dispatched all the zombies and had just equipped his shotgun when, in swirls of bright red flame, the swarm of imps and possessed soldiers materialized.</p><p><em>BANG BANG!</em> Two soldiers fell as their chests were reduced to little more than shredded meat. An imp leapt up to the ceiling and hung upside down, a fireball forming in one hand. <em>BANG! </em>The imp fell lifelessly and its fireball dissipated into nothing. Other imps darted across the room, quickly jumping onto walls and lobbing burning fireballs at the Marine, trails of acrid smoke in their wake. The Marine rolled out of their way as he switched to his pistol. <em>PEW PEW PEW! </em>He fired off a flurry of shots in their direction, some missing but a few managing to kill the speedy pests.</p><p>A burst of rifle fire struck the Marine’s back, his HEALTH counter dropping to 95. He turned to find a zombieman in black armor pointing an assault rifle in his direction, its beady eyes casting a sinister red glare. Eyeing two imps approaching from his backside, the Marine had an idea. He rolled out of the way of the soldier’s attack just as the imps pounced, causing the soldier to shoot the imps instead. With furious screeches the imps turned on the zombieman, clawing and tearing at it just as the soldier himself returned fire.</p><p>The Marine left the three to finish each other off when a stream of bright blue spheres hit his chest, spreading waves of searing heat that felt as if penetrating his whole torso. A former soldier in white armor stood behind a support column holding a plasma rifle. The Marine shot at it but it rolled out of the way, dropping down to one knee and raising its weapon as its muzzle began to glow and whir. The Marine attempted to run behind another column when the soldier struck him with a wave of searing heat discharged from its rifle, bringing his HEALTH down to 89.</p><p>Snarling in pain and anger, the Marine grabbed a nearby zombie scientist and threw it at the soldier as it prepared to release another heat blast. The zombie hit the soldier just as it pulled the trigger, setting the two on fire. The zombie crumbled into ash and the soldier clawed at itself in desperation, which the Marine finished with a precise shotgun blast.</p><p>He was running low on shells. He glanced at a group of zombies as the imps got closer.</p><p>The Marine charged as he switched to the M1911. <em>PEW PEW! </em>Imp down. Another leapt at the Marine with outstretched claws. <em>PEW PEW PEW! </em>Down and out. The Marine approached the zombies and raised his fists. Left hook, a zombie fell. Right hook, uppercut, the second crumbled as the third one’s head splattered the ceiling. All the while the Marine noted their viscera and energy being absorbed into him, producing fresh munitions just as his HEALTH slowly ticked up. A strong kick sent the last zombie flying at two soldiers, all three exploding in a mess of gore and organs.</p><p>The Marine withdrew his restocked shotgun and raised it once more, this time not aiming at any demon but rather at a jack loaded with red barrels. Taking careful aim, he shot the jack and watched as the barrels toppled over and rolled throughout the room. Eyeing the remaining imps and soldiers darting across the chamber, the Marine loaded a shrapnel shot and fired. At once the entire room exploded, bright swells of flame and shards of metal soaring through the air.</p><p>When the smoke cleared the Marine stood in an empty room, blood splatters and bits of flesh the only indication that other life had once been present. He checked his HEALTH: 99.</p><p>Unacceptable.</p><p>He was too slow, his senses dulled by his long rest. He needed to get his strength back, and fast.</p><p>“<em>Demonic presence eliminated. Lockdown disengaged.”</em></p><p>The flashing sirens turned green and the red hologram over the exit vanished. Faintly satisfied, the Marine made his way to the exit.</p><p>As he passed through the gate a holographic recording appeared in his path, depicting some standing figure in seeming deep thought but he paid it no mind. Passing straight through it, he heard the figure indistinctly start to speak as he entered the access elevator and the doors sealed behind him. There was a touchscreen on the elevator wall, an upward arrow softly pulsing. The pad was stained with bloody handprints from a man’s corpse lying on the floor. He pressed it and immediately afterward a voice comm appeared on the screen.</p><p>“<em>I’m willing to take full responsibility for the horrible events of the last twenty-four hours but you </em>must<em> understand</em>…” It was the same droning voice. “<em>Our interest in their world was purely for the betterment of mankind        .</em>”</p><p>The Marine looked down at the corpse at his feet. A victim of this voice’s “betterment.” The Marine cracked his knuckles in barely contained fury as the voice continued.</p><p>“<em>Everything has clearly gotten out of hand now, yes, but it was worth the ri</em>- <em>Please don’t smash the panel.</em>” The Marine smashed the panel, which exploded in a shower of glass and sparks. Moments later, the elevator stopped and the doors opened onto a familiar orange landscape.</p><p>*                      *                      *</p><p>Freezing cold temperature. Thin dry atmosphere. Reddish-brown dirt. The Marine was on Mars. He stopped a moment to take in the sight: dusty air currents rushed past the windswept terrain as distant towers contrasted darkly against the backlit cloud cover. It was evening, the sun hanging low on the amber Martian sky. A crashed shuttle lay not too far away, its engines still smoking and far too damaged to be of any use.</p><p>The Marine neurally signaled his suit to mark the Resource Ops facility on his HUD. Roughly a kilometer away, past some industrial refineries and archaeological excavation sites. He cocked his shotgun and set off across the Martian surface.</p><p>The Marine jogged in silence across the otherwise uneventful landscape. The outpost he had just left was built underground, the access elevator descending and sealing shut in an uninteresting metal hatch when he exited. At least for the time being, there seemed to be nothing that demanded the Marine’s attention, and he was fine with that. He allowed himself a few moments of relaxation as he ran at an acceptable pace, even comfortable in the low Martian gravity.</p><p>He reached the first of the excavation sites, a small shallow basin spreading out beneath him. Here lied the first signs of civilization since the outpost and shuttle, despite being empty of life itself.</p><p>Although to what civilization these belonged to was another question.</p><p>Littering the site were clearly man-made objects. Flood lamps, tool boxes, and environment suits were obvious examples, along with the odd human corpse that never seemed too far away. But the very site seemed built for the purpose of unearthing other, more enigmatic artifacts. The Marine jumped down, landing softly despite the imposing height of the ledge he’d just been on.</p><p>There were four low stone columns built symmetrically within the basin, constructed in some grand architectural style of ages past. Large engraved symbols glowed faintly on their surfaces, but these weren’t the arcane runes of Hell. The Marine could recognize better than anyone the writing and architecture of the ancient Martian people. Well, Martian <em>beings, </em>for they certainly hadn’t been human.</p><p>The columns were built in front of passageways leading deeper into the rusty surface, flood lamps and cables leading into the darkness. The cavern archways were of the same architecture as the columns before them, and the Marine knew the caverns continued deeper below, long abandoned by their original habitants. He noted that the columns and caverns pointed in three of the basin’s cardinal directions, the fourth column in front of an open channel that led south, in the direction of the Res Ops facility.</p><p>He headed in that direction. There was no insight the Marine could gleam from these crumbling ruins that he did not already know, and he had more pressing matters to attend to.</p><p>After a few minutes the Marine reached a point where the narrow channel split into a junction. Narrow passages spread out on either side, leading to industrial refineries but eventually converging back at Res Ops. The way forward was more direct but was blocked by a metal gate.</p><p>ACCESS DENIED, the blue holographic display read. LEVEL 1 ACCESS REQUIRED</p><p><em>give key?</em>, the Marine hopefully input into his suit’s interface.</p><p>ERROR: SECURITY BYPASS MODULE OFFL-</p><p>A swift punch sent the flimsy metal door flying, and the Marine felt his irritation subside with the loud and satisfying <em>CRUNCH</em> it made as he walked over it.</p><p>The narrow channel opened onto a flat stretch of land on which Resource Operations lay. The Marine felt dwarfed by the imposing size of the facility in front of him, which was only part of a larger colony that sprawled across the Martian surface. The base was built on the edge of a great valley, distant cliffs barely visible through the amber haze.</p><p>His HUD marked the only functional entrance to the facility past some low installations, at the end of an elevated tramway that once crossed a nearby ravine. The Marine could see a few scattered zombies and soldiers leading up to the entrance, and he guessed there were more hidden among the structures. He was stocked on ammo, but this was no time to get ambushed by a crowd.</p><p>The Marine dejectedly exhaled. Only one thing to do.</p><p>He pulled out his handgun and charged.</p><p>Most of the zombies hit the ground long before they had a chance to react. By the time the soldiers noticed the Marine he had already pulled out his shotgun. <em>BANG! </em>Soldier turned to red fleshy paste. <em>BANG! </em>Another fell before it could fire a heat blast. The Marine noticed swells of scarlet flame out of the corner of his eye and prepared to fight the next wave.</p><p>A swarm of imps warped in but these were different. Taller, more muscular, and they stood fully upright as they wickedly leered at the Marine. A greater number of spikes extruded from their body, and their skin was a deep black.</p><p>When he saw them casting green fireballs in their hands, the Marine wisely decided to run for cover.</p><p>The fireballs flamed through the space where the Marine had just been, striking at his heels as he rolled behind a piece of machinery. Those green fireballs were faster than the ones thrown by normal imps, and the Marine guessed they hit harder too. But he couldn’t stay hunkered down. The environment was too open and unsuitable for defense, and imps never stayed put. Steeling himself, he switched to his shotgun and leapt out of cover.</p><p><em>BANG BANG!</em> He dropped two dark imps with cold determination. A squad of soldiers approached on the left, from which the Marine distanced himself to focus on the imps. <em>BANG! </em>He shot another but it was still standing, a blue fireball forming in its hand. The Marine reloaded his shotgun as the imp threw the fireball. He swerved out of the ball’s trajectory but to his surprise it changed direction mid-air and struck him in the arm, his HEALTH dropping to 87. Angered, the Marine finished the imp off with a shotgun blast as the soldiers drew nearer. Having grown frustrated with the monsters and his own lack of combat options, the Marine decided to just run for the entrance.</p><p>He left the soldiers behind and dodged the imps’ fireballs as he jumped from ledge to ledge, climbing up to where the tramway led into the Res Ops facility. Despite his efforts he was struck by several fireballs and plasma bolts, his HEALTH dropping to 28 but he wasn’t concerned. There would certainly be medical supplies in the facility, what was crucial was him getting inside.</p><p>He made the last jump and climbed up to the tramway. Looking down to see if the imps or soldiers had followed, he didn’t even check if he was alone. All he heard was the whirr of a chaingun spinning up, and a flash of red light before a hail of bullets tore him apart and the world went black.</p><p>*                      *                      *</p><p>The Marine woke up. He stood at the entrance to the channel that led back to the excavation site. Resource Ops loomed ominously in front of him. From his position he could still see zombies and soldiers dispersed across the rusty Martian expanse.</p><p>Infuriated, the Marine punched the rock walls beside him. His fists sunk deep into the stone, cracks spreading out and a shower of pebbles tumbling down to the dirt.</p><p>He’d been killed. A momentary lapse of judgement had caused him to miss the soldier hidden in the shadows by the facility entrance, and he had paid for that mistake.</p><p>Not that he was any worse for the wear. He was in one piece and still had all his tools. His HEALTH was even back at 100.</p><p>But that wasn’t the point. There was an invasion here, and it needed to be stopped as quickly as possible. Dying costed time. Precious time that he did not have.</p><p>The sound of pebbles striking metal jarred him from his thoughts. There was a small beige box at his feet, hidden almost invisibly besides the dirt and rock. He crouched to open it.</p><p>It was a grenade box. Neatly stored inside were five green fragmentation grenades, their silver handles gleaming dimly in the light. The Marine picked one up.</p><p>UAC FRAG GRENADE ACQUIRED</p><p>IDENTIFIED AS EQUIPMENT – SYNCHRONIZED TO EQUIPMENT MODULE</p><p>NOTICE: EQUIPMENT LAUNCHER IS DAMAGED</p><p>MANUAL LAUNCH OF SECONDARY ITEMS IS REQUIRED</p><p>His equipment launcher was destroyed, but the Marine didn’t care. These frag grenades suited him just fine. He grabbed the rest – which seemed to vanish into thin air – and stared back towards the Res Ops entrance.</p><p>The corpses of the demons he’d killed still lay on the Martian dirt, but more had arrived to take their place. The Marine groaned in disgust. Demons were a pest, the only way to eliminate them was to slaughter every last one.</p><p>He loaded a shrapnel shot into his shotgun. And that was exactly what he was going to do. He charged.</p><p>A mob of zombies blew apart as the shrapnel shot exploded in their midst, sending burning shrapnel tearing through their flesh. The soldiers turned around and roared in aggression, but a second shrapnel shot shut them up. By the time the dark imps warped in, the Marine was ready.</p><p><em>BANG! </em>A dark imp took a shrapnel shot straight in the chest and flew off in eight different directions. <em>BANG! </em>The headless corpse of another tumbled down after a shrapnel shot exploded in its roaring mouth. All the while the Marine constantly strafed to avoid their attacks, being mindful of the fast green fireballs and the homing blue ones.</p><p>Eyeing the soldiers approaching from his flank, the Marine strafed in their direction rather than retreating. As some soldiers fell to the dark imps’ fireballs, he took care of the rest. <em>BANG! BANG! BANG! </em>With liberal use of shrapnel shots he swiftly eliminated their ranks. Noting his shells were running low, he ran up to a soldier and swiftly dispatched him with a quick punch. Five shells. A normal imp leapt beside him and slashed at him with burning claws. Punch, six bullets. He climbed the ledges up to where a dark imp was lobbing fireballs at him. Left, right, uppercut. The Marine exulted as his ammo returned and the small health boosts topped his counter to 107.</p><p>The second wave of soldiers stormed in from the shadows. In a single move, the Marine withdrew a grenade, coolly flicked the safety mechanism off, and threw it at the crowd.</p><p><em>POW! </em>Half of the soldiers exploded in bits of flesh and guts. The Marine threw a second grenade and climbed towards the entrance. <em>POW! </em>He didn’t see the explosion, but the wet splashes and following silence indicated all the soldiers were dead. He glanced at the last of the dark imps leaping about the structures. With precise shrapnel shots he finished them off and prepared himself for the final enemy hidden by the facility entrance.</p><p>The Marine jumped onto the tramway and glanced at the shadowy recess where the tramway ended. There, almost invisibly, stood the hulking figure of a heavy weapons commando. It wore red body armor and carried an enormous chaingun in its hands. Its body was grotesquely swollen, however. So much that the grey bodysuit under its red armor had torn in several places, the sleeves having long since fallen off its grossly muscled arms. Its only clearly visible parts where the two red lights that brightly shone from its armor, one in the center of its helmet and the other in its chest.</p><p>As soon as the Marine climbed onto the tramway, the commando turned and yelled “<em>ENEMY SIGHTED!” </em>The Marine loaded and fired a shrapnel shot at the soldier. The shot hit but did not falter its target, which remained standing and charged up its chaingun.</p><p>The Marine ran as the commando started firing. He did his best to dodge its fire but had limited space on the narrow tramway, wincing as the slugs ripped through his body.</p><p>Falling back to put some space between himself and the monster, the Marine threw a grenade at it. But it was too low, and the grenade exploded harmlessly on the floor. He grabbed another and threw it higher, but a stray slug hit his arm, and the grenade flew to the side and off the tramway.</p><p>With 54 HEALTH left, the Marine crouched behind a cart still parked on the rail. But the bullets kept coming, and the commando was drawing closer.</p><p>“<em>YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!” </em>He heard it shout.</p><p>The Marine peered from behind cover to fire a shrapnel shot, only to have a bullet strike his face. He quickly ducked back with 42 HEALTH.</p><p>“<em>HELL AWAITS YOU!”</em></p><p>The Marine breathed heavy. He only had one grenade, he was low on ammo, and his luck was running out. He couldn’t die again. Not now. Every moment he wasted was another demon breaking through to this universe. Another chance for Hell to reach Earth.</p><p>With gritted teeth, the Marine cocked his shotgun and leapt from cover, charging at the commando.</p><p>Taking careful aim, the Marine threw his last grenade at the monster. The grenade bounced some distance away but it was close enough, and the commando faltered by the blast. Taking advantage of the monster’s lapse in aggression, the Marine loaded a shrapnel shot and fired it at the commando’s head. The shot hit its mark but the commando did not fall, its helmet breaking to reveal a bald man with a circle beard and bloody mouth. His red eyes cast an evil, reproachful glare.</p><p>The commando spun up its weapon once more, but with no options left the Marine kept charging. The storm of bullets returned, and the Marine couldn’t help but watch as they pierced through his armor and hacked away at his HEALTH.</p><p>At that moment the Marine was overwhelmed with rage. A bright, swelling, incendiary surge of rage that seemed to set his blood ablaze.</p><p>He was <em>furious</em>.</p><p>Furious that he’d been forced to sleep for God-knows-how-long, furious that his strength and powers had been drained, furious that his arsenal was gone and he was forced to stop this invasion with no tools, furious that demons had invaded his universe and placed humanity in danger.</p><p>But most of all, he thought as he balled his hand into a fist, he was furious that this chaingunner <em>even existed.</em></p><p>With all his strength, the Marine slammed his fist against the commando’s chest. At once the monster seemed to explode in a fountain of blood, body parts and armor flying in every direction. The chaingun it held dropped loudly on the floor, powering down and smoking heavily.</p><p>The Marine breathed heavily, his armor covered in blood, standing above a pile of gore that had once been the commando. He took a moment to absorb the monster’s energy and heal his wounds. He stared at his fist which dripped with thick red blood. It seemed to even be smoking from the force of the impact.</p><p>As he stared, though, his arm really did set afire, bright scarlet flames reaching from elbow to fingertips. The flames suddenly vanished as quickly as they appeared, and a message appeared on his HUD:</p><p>BLOOD RAGE RESTORED – CRITICAL HEALTH WILL BOOST MELEE DAMAGE</p><p>BLOOD PUNCH RESTORED – FOCUS POWER INTO PUNCH TO UNLEASH A DEVASTATING BLOW WITH A SECONDARY WAVE ON IMPACT</p><p>The Marine’s breathing eased. His heart felt to be beating stronger, the fight must have returned some of his strength. But it wouldn’t help much if he didn’t have-</p><p>A glint of silver amidst the gore caught his eye. He stooped and picked up a gleaming black-and-silver pistol from the remains of the commando, far larger than the M1911 in his possession. The edges of the barrel were painted a deep red, and on the side he could read a “BFP” etched on the metal. He chuckled as the notification appeared on his HUD:</p><p>EMG MARK V PISTOL ACQUIRED</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – BULLETS</p><p>SECONDARY FIRING MODE – CHARGED SHOT</p><p>NOTE: EACH TRIGGER PULL WILL CONSUME TWO BULLETS</p><p>He weighed the pistol in his hand. It was certainly heavier than the M1911. Probably not as strong as he would have preferred, but it would do.</p><p>The Marine turned to the smoking chaingun at his feet. It was permeated with throbbing fleshy tissue, too infected to be of use, but its ammo belt seemed functional. The Marine extracted the belt and added it to his storage matrix, grinning when he saw his bullet count rocket from 20 to 200.</p><p>With a new weapon and full ammo, the Marine entered the loading bay at the end of the tramway, which led into Resource Ops. There were toolboxes, supply crates, carts parked along the rail, even two medikits lying by the airlock. They were small white boxes with a blue cross on their lids. The Marine crouched and opened one. There were two bottles of translucent blue gel inside, along with application utensils and instructions. The Marine took both bottles in one hand, briefly contemplated, and crushed them. He felt immediate relief as the gels soaked into his suit and were absorbed by his body, raising his HEALTH to 38. He stood and crushed the other medikit with his boot, which brought his HEALTH up to 63.</p><p>Even with reduced health, the Marine stepped into the airlock with resolute focus and pressed a glowing pad that read ENTER FACILITY. As he did, a holographic recording of a young woman appeared by the gate.</p><p>“Welcome to the Union Aerospace Corporation, also known as the UAC,” she exclaimed in a bright and peppy voice. “Now 221 accident-free days.”</p><p>As the gate closed and the airlock cycled, the Marine hoped he wouldn’t have to hear her chirpy voice throughout his journey.</p><p> *                     *                      *</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Knee-Deep in the Dead</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“Perhaps the most remarkable artifact found alongside the Doom Marine was a suit of combat armor identified as the ‘Praetor Suit.’ The Suit has been dated as many thousand years old, yet it contains systems unimaginably more advanced than any other known technology, man-made or otherwise. Powerful and dangerous curses prevent its extraction from the altar in which it was found, but tests performed on its exposed components have proven it is impervious to almost any type of damage. The only attacks that can penetrate its plating are those of extreme energies or supernatural nature, such as from demons or possessed humans. After taking any harm, however, the Suit will immediately and remarkably repair its structure. Despite its clearly technological nature, the Suit contains no force amplification mechanisms or life support systems, and no method of activating it has been found. It appears as nothing more than a hollow shell, requiring the presence of, and serving only to complement, the Doom Marine.”</em>
</p><p>- Lazarus Lab Report DM1-6</p><p>
  
</p><p>Ruby cautiously opened the elevator door, pistol at the ready. It had been a while since the screams and roars died down, but she wasn’t taking any chances.</p><p>The corridor was dark, illuminated only by flashing sirens and the occasional sparking. Ruby moved out quietly, taking care not to step on some piece of glass or other debris.</p><p>She was in the Mars Base Hospital, medical equipment and the corpses of hospital workers strewn across the floor.</p><p><em>What the hell happened here, </em>she thought to herself as she walked past the ravaged bodies.</p><p>
  <em>Probably just that. Hell.</em>
</p><p>After a few moments of pure silence, Ruby put her weapon down and breathed deeply, temporarily assured she was alone.</p><p>She needed to get to a VEGA terminal. She needed to establish contact with Command and figure out what was going on.</p><p>Tightening her grip on her pistol, Ruby set off with a brisk pace for the hospital’s administrative deck. She stepped into a staircase, as the elevators would be too loud, and climbed up towards the terminal.</p><p>Ruby reached the floor at the very top of the staircase, the one that housed the hospital’s administrative services, but entry was blocked by a locked gate that required identity verification.</p><p>Glancing backwards to make sure she was alone, Ruby pressed the glowing pad and spoke.</p><p>“This is UAC Elite Guard Ruby Taylor, requesting access.”</p><p>The gate’s light turned green as the automated voice system replied.</p><p>“<em>Credentials accepted. Hello, Agent Taylor.”</em></p><p>*          *          *</p><p>As the airlock cycled, the Marine felt the gravity field inside the chamber grow stronger as the facility’s acclimation mechanisms kicked in.</p><p>An incoming voice comm transmitted into the Praetor Suit’s systems.</p><p>&lt;<em>Hello. I am VEGA,</em> <em>the sentient artificial intelligence assigned to Mars.</em>&gt; It was a new voice, robotic but more audibly pleasant than that of Doctor Hayden. The Marine might have even described it as warm. The UAC had finally built talking computers.</p><p>&lt;<em>Doctor Hayden has assigned me to assist you in any way possible. After running diagnostics on the active Praetor Suit, I have concluded that both you and the Suit are operating at reduced capacity. I have programmed a Power Engine into the Praetor Suit’s subroutines. It will scan your neural activity during moments of exceptional performance and allow you to tactically reproduce it. I will add relevant components to your display and Dossier.</em>&gt;</p><p>Two counters appeared on his HUD’s upper corners, labeled “Calibrator” and “Tracker.” The Marine shrugged. He’d figure out how they worked later. At least the computer wasn’t going to be a hindrance.</p><p>The gate opened and the Marine boldly entered the facility, immediately noticing the Earth-like gravity and lack of illumination. The Base’s power must have been cut off.</p><p>He recalled an old trick he used to wield, a simple but effective skill to navigate even the most distracting or obscure of environments. He closed his eyes and filtered out the blaring sirens, focusing on building a clear mental image of his surroundings. The shadowy outline of the corridor seemed to come into view, but after a few moments it dissipated like smoke. The Marine made a greater effort to build the image, but he couldn’t sustain it. His strength had not returned yet.</p><p>Opening his eyes, he brought up his Suit’s automap feature onto his display to see if he could navigate through it, but no such luck. The Base’s walls were too thick and his scanning system had limited range. He could spy a group of red dots in the room just around the corner, meaning his scanner’s demonic module was operational, but he couldn’t see any further than that. He closed the automap in frustration.</p><p>&lt;<em>There is a flashlight in the toolbox to your right,</em>&gt; spoke the computer. &lt;<em>You can use it to navigate the facility.</em>&gt;</p><p>Sure enough, in an open toolbox not far from a dead worker, was a heavy metallic flashlight. Very heavy, in fact. He turned it on. Just as he contemplated how narrow the beam of light was, not to mention dim, the flashlight sputtered out and died.</p><p>In the fraction of a second the Marine was racing down the corridor at full speed, his blood burning with ravenous rage. He was going to splatter somebody’s brains, and he didn’t care whose.</p><p>He turned the corner into the intersection of a mining deck, the red dots turning out to be a few zombies slowly ambling in the dark. Without hesitation, the Marine grabbed the head of the flashlight and brought the handle down on one, feeling instant satisfaction as its skull cracked open like an egg. He swinged the flashlight at another’s head, sending it flying clean off its shoulders. Dropkicking another, he mercilessly beat it into a bloody pulp. With cold and expeditious fury he slaughtered them all, holding a dented flashlight dripping with blood and brain matter. He dropped it while breathing heavily.</p><p>He hated using flashlights.</p><p>His anger subsided, the Marine turned to the signs printed on the corridor walls, searching for the one that led to a system terminal. Finding it, the Marine headed in that direction.</p><p>The hallway was dim but barely navigable from the flashing sirens and lights that shone through the grated floor.</p><p>The Marine climbed a stairway up to the system terminal. It stood in front of exterior windows whose blast shields had been activated by the lockdown. He pressed a screen that read RESTORE POWER.</p><p>…REROUTING POWER…POWER RESTORED</p><p>The blast shields lifted as the fluorescent lighting flickered back on, and the Marine could see the faulty satellite dish through the windows.</p><p>A screen beside him switched on.</p><p>“I believe in honesty. Especially now, in what will be your final moments in this world.”</p><p>A puzzled Marine turned to the screen. It was a thin elderly woman speaking. She wore a mechanical bodysuit and her complexion was cold yet perverse. The Marine recognized her: she was the same figure whose hologram he’d seen as he exited Site 03.</p><p>“All the rumors…the human sacrifices, the Hell portal, the demons…it’s all true.”</p><p>Her demeanor was very matter-of-fact and detached, considering the subject matter, and her stiff arrogance aggravated the Marine. Had the screen not displayed PREVIOUSLY RECORDED below the woman’s transmission, he would have thought she was speaking to him. Regardless, he did not like her.</p><p>“My sisters and brothers be thankful. You will be the first. You will have a seat alongside them-”</p><p>A point-blank shotgun blast promptly silenced the woman’s rambling.</p><p>She was one of <em>those </em>then, the Marine thought. Perfect.</p><p>&lt;<em>That was Doctor Olivia Pierce,&gt; </em>commented the computer,<em> &lt;head of the UAC’s Biochemical Research Division and Director of the Lazarus Project.</em>&gt; Lazarus Project. That didn’t sound good. The Marine made a mental note to investigate the Lazarus Project as he prepared to leave.</p><p>&lt;<em>If I may, the database terminal to your left contains a complete detail of the facility’s structure and resources.</em> <em>You can download the data into your Suit to complete your automap.&gt;</em></p><p>The Marine turned to the screen beside him, which read FACILITY MAP READY. He pressed the DOWNLOAD button on the screen and noted the AUTOMAP UPDATED message appear on his HUD.</p><p>Bringing up his automap once more, he marveled at the real-time 3D diagram displayed in his visor. It was an extensive compound, built into the Martian landscape for mining and…plasma extraction.</p><p>Plasma extraction? On Mars? The Marine frowned as he continued to study the map.</p><p>Linked directly to the facility’s systems, his boosted scanner marked the exact positions and identities of all usable items and demonic invaders in the installation, which appeared as miniature models in the diagram. But that didn’t matter, the Marine needed to reach the satellite array to realign the faulty dish. Studying the map, he calculated the shortest route to the array and switched off the automap. He noted an icon resembling a map station had appeared under the “Tracker” component in his HUD. So it was some kind of utility tracker, the Marine concluded.</p><p>&lt;<em>All UAC installations have a terminal from which you can download their complete facility maps. I will unlock the remaining stations in the Base, but you will have to manually download their data.</em>&gt;</p><p>Cocking his shotgun, the Marine headed for the satellite array.</p><p>The Res Ops facility was certainly more visually impressive when fully illuminated. This particular sector was a sprawl of grey and yellow-painted metal, with slender walkways and railings crisscrossing a wide cavern beside the exposed Martian surface. Steam and smoke lazily drifted from lower levels as machinery rumbled deep below.</p><p>The Marine contemplated this arrangement as he climbed the walkways. Martian soil was supposed to be toxic to normal humans, and the atmosphere pumped within the facility was very much breathable. Did this company have its employees breathing toxic Martian dust, or were they augmented in some way to be resistant to this environment?</p><p>The Marine got his answer as he approached a pair of corpses outside a sealed door, blood trails streaking across the ground: it didn’t matter anymore.</p><p>One of the corpses was of a decapitated soldier, and his HUD outlined the soldier’s cuirass. It seemed to be in good condition, and the Marine guessed the soldier wouldn’t need it anymore. Setting his boot softly on the soldier’s chest, the Marine watched as the cuirass dissolved into a swarm of metallic fragments and was absorbed by his Suit, bringing his ARMOR up to 50.</p><p>Lightly bowing his head at the soldier, the Marine approached the gate. It was jammed shut, and the sparks flying from its frame indicated it was malfunctioning. Grabbing hold of the dual doors’ edges, the Marine pried open the gate into a dock crowded with zombies and imps.</p><p>A few steps away stood a former engineer, whose body had been grossly fused with a large acetylene tank which now perforated its torso. As soon as the Marine opened the gate, this worker shambled towards him with a deep gargling sound. A reflexive kick sent the zombie flying at the others behind it, exploding and killing three others with it. With the rest of the demons alerted to his presence, the Marine stormed into the dock.</p><p>It was an elevated clearing that must have been a transportation hub. Supply crates and explosive barrels littered the floor, with only flimsy waist-high railings standing between the walkways and the yawning depths.</p><p><em>BANG BANG BANG</em>! The Marine swiftly dispatched the closest enemies with precise shotgun blasts. He loaded a shrapnel shot. <em>BANG POOWW</em>! A zombie engineer and two imps exploded in a swell of flame and blood. A new sound beside him drew his attention, a fast whirring that sounded like a power tool switching on. Turning to the sound, the Marine barely managed to dodge a faceful of spinning metal teeth. It was a zombified worker with a chainsaw fused to its hands, hellbent on slashing the Marine with it. Moving fast before the zombie could attack again, the Marine grabbed the zombie’s arm and forced the chainsaw to its own head, moving on to a pair of imps as the dying zombie howled in agony.</p><p>The Marine switched to his new EMG pistol. <em>POW! </em>He gaped as the target dark imp’s head disappeared in a burst of bone and brain. He aimed at another’s chest. <em>POW POW! </em>The Marine was sure he could fit his arm through the hole in the dark imp’s torso.</p><p>He noted each trigger pull of the EMG cost two bullets, but that was hardly a concern. Left punch, right hook. <em>POW! POW! </em>Right, left, uppercut. <em>POW! POW! </em>The Marine cleaved and carved his way through the crowd, collecting ammo and HEALTH from his fallen victims. A plasma soldier kneeled to release a heat blast. Charging at it, the Marine grabbed the soldier by the throat and threw it over the edge of the platform, hearing its moaning growls fade as it plummeted.</p><p>An elevated burst of rifle fire directed the Marine’s attention up. A squad of soldiers were shooting at him from a ledge that hung over the dock, too high for the Marine to reach. Dodging their fire, he picked up an explosive barrel with his free hand and slung it at them. He watched as the barrel soared almost gracefully through the air before taking careful aim and shooting it with the EMG.</p><p>Just as the barrel exploded and the blast thundered throughout the hollow cavern, the Marine felt a rough hack at his back. He turned to find himself face-to-face with a fairly undecomposed zombie, a young former scientist with a bright red fire axe in its hands.  This one was not a languid shambler, however. It was alert, and fast. For a zombie. Noting a trio of soldiers approaching from ahead, the Marine kicked the axe zombie into them as he focused power into his fist, his gauntlet crackling with crimson energy. <em>POWW! </em>The Blood Punch tore all four zombies apart as their very blood was boiled within their bodies, sending the axe flying in the air. Expertly catching it by the handle, the Marine hurled it straight at the tank in a possessed engineer, the explosion killing it and another two demons beside it.</p><p>The last demon in the dock was a dark imp that hopped high across the suspended walkways, lobbing green and blue fireballs at the Marine. He shot at it with the EMG, but its nimbleness and him dodging its attacks made accurate shots impossible. He switched to the pistol’s alternate mode and sent a quick charged shot in the imp’s direction. He missed, but noticed a burst of electric arcs on the wall where the bullet landed. Tracking his prey, the Marine charged the next shot to full capacity and fired. The bullet struck the railing right beside the imp, releasing a small explosive surge that stopped the imp dead in its tracks. The demon only managed to release a single shriek before another bullet blew its head off.</p><p>With the dock cleared, the Marine shouldered his weapon and noticed the digit 1 appear under the Calibrator component in his HUD.</p><p>Curious, the Marine brought the Calibrator component up on his Dossier.</p><p>[POWER ENGINE]</p><p>AVAILABLE CALIBRATION CYCLES – 1</p><p>AVAILABLE BOOSTS: AREA SCANNER</p><p>AREA SCANNER – STORED: 0, ACTIVE: 1, COST: 1 CYCLE</p><p>NOTE: MORE TACTICAL BOOSTS CAN BE ACQUIRED AND SYNTHESIZED BY FINDING USEFUL ITEMS/ARTIFACTS</p><p>The Marine raised his eyebrows in understanding: this Power Engine generated calibration cycles based on his neural performance, and he could later spend these to build “tactical boosts.” That would come in handy.</p><p>Switching off his Dossier, the Marine headed for an adjacent barrack which lead directly to the satellite array. He glanced at the chainsaw zombie’s decapitated corpse as he walked by, wondering why such a weapon was on Mars to begin with. He found it almost ironic. Had it not been unusable from the zombie’s corruption, he might have found it quite-</p><p>The doors to the barrack glided open.</p><p>Quite advantageous.</p><p>Almost as if answering his prayers, on the floor of the barrack was a dead zombie with a clean new chainsaw still embedded in its chest. After the briefest pause, the Marine strode towards it and pulled the chainsaw free.</p><p>It was certainly a curious device. The casing was of bright yellow coloration, the bumper spikes were unusually sharp and pronounced, even the teeth appeared viciously blade-like. The logo PAINSAW was printed on the blade and casing in large bold letters. The Marine guessed this was not official industrial equipment.</p><p>CHAINSAW ACQUIRED</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – BATTERY PACKS</p><p>PRIMARY FIRING MODE – SHORT BURST (CONSUMES ONE BATTERY)</p><p>SECONDARY FIRING MODE – LONG BURST (CONSUMES AT LEAST ONE BATTERY)</p><p>The Marine powered on the chainsaw, feeling a surge of satisfaction as the blade loudly buzzed.</p><p>Putting the chainsaw away, the Marine glanced over the barrack for any useful supplies. There was a rack of shotgun shells, a grenade box, and a large white apparatus on the wall, on its front a blue cross and the words HEALTH STATION. It unfolded as the Marine approached, extending a metallic tube with what appeared to be medical gel injectors. His HEALTH at 84, the Marine inserted his arm into the device and watched as the injectors descended onto it, bringing his HEALTH up to 100.</p><p>Pulling his arm out of the device, the Marine spotted a familiar holographic face materializing on a display.</p><p>“The UAC,” the Spokeswoman proudly exclaimed. “The world is counting on us! How committed are you?”</p><p>So this was going to be a regular occurrence. Fantastic.</p><p>An exasperated Marine advanced to a large grey room that appeared to be a cargo station, with doors leading to other parts of the Res Ops installation. At the far end was a door marked DISH ACCESS. A yellow holographic display on it read ACCESS DENIED – LEVEL 2 ACCESS ONLY.</p><p>&lt;<em>You will require a Level 2 keycard to access the satellite array,&gt; </em>explained the computer as the Marine approached the gate. &lt;<em>There is one located-&gt;</em></p><p>Without a second thought the Marine kicked the door off its hinges and had barely stepped across the threshold when an alarm began to ring.</p><p>“<em>UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS.” </em>It was the facility’s automated voice system. “<em>SECURITY HAS BEEN ALERTED.”</em></p><p>At once, swells of crimson flame began to manifest around the Marine, and he hurried into the onward chamber before he was swarmed. Equipping his shotgun, he aimed at the soldiers as they began to fire at him. <em>BANG BANG! </em>He sniped them off but they kept coming. <em>BANG BANG! </em>A heat blast hit him, and another, and his ARMOR steadily ticked down. <em>BANG BANG! </em>The chamber was a dead end. It led directly to an airlock but he couldn’t find the control switch amidst the chaos. His ARMOR was gone. <em>BANG BANG! </em>A plasma soldier fell before it could charge another blast, but the horde seemed to never end.</p><p>A green fireball missed the Marine’s head by a hair’s breadth.</p><p>Uh oh.</p><p>He switched to shrapnel shots. <em>BANG! </em>The dark imp exploded in a cloud of viscera, but not before lobbing a fireball straight at the Marine’s chest. His HEALTH was at 88. <em>BANG! </em>The shot missed, and the Marine grimaced as the demon’s burning claws slashed at his face. Rifle fire struck him in the stomach, and a fire axe hit his neck.</p><p>56.</p><p>Charging a Blood Punch, the Marine fought for space as the crowd descended upon him in a writhing wave. The punch connected but a possessed engineer got caught in the shockwave, and the explosion pushed him back before he could absorb the fallen demons’ energy.</p><p>21.</p><p>His Blood Rage violently surging, the Marine raised both fists as crimson bolts arced across his gauntlets. Left, right, left. Imps and soldiers mercilessly fell by his hands one after the other, but their numbers proved too great. He fought as savagely as he could but was overwhelmed by the horde, and a grinning zombie with a chainsaw split his head in two.</p><p>When the Marine woke up he found himself back at the barrack, just in time to hear a perky voice chime up.</p><p>“Here at the UAC we take pride in-”</p><p>The Spokeswoman was cut short by the Marine’s foot smashing her projector. He stomped repeatedly on the device until it was nothing more than a pile of metal and glass fragments rolling on the floor. Once it had been sufficiently pulverized, he moved on to the rack of lockers, effortlessly shredding them apart like tissue paper.</p><p>Throwing the torn lockers down, the Marine rushed once more into the cargo station, only to find a pair of drones installing a new door to replace the one he’d destroyed. His anger resurging, he turned to a pair of thick pipes attached to the wall and tore them off, repeatedly smashing them against any available surface he found.</p><p>&lt;<em>I’m terribly sorry,</em>&gt; the computer uttered amidst the Marine’s outburst, &lt;<em>but our security systems cannot be overridden. An authorized keycard </em>will<em> be required to access the array. If you wish, I could guide you to one.&gt;</em></p><p>The Marine ceased his assault to breathe deeply, his fists trembling with barely contained rage. After a few moments of quiet seething, his anger abated and he lightly nodded.</p><p>&lt;<em>Allow me. Continue to the end of this room and turn right into the service corridor where you will find a small access port. Enter it and…</em>&gt;</p><p>The Marine quietly grumbled as he headed to where the computer indicated.</p><p>An ageless immortal warrior and he was taking directions from a machine. How quaint.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Ruby stepped into the hospital’s administrative deck. The emergency lights kept strobing in regular intervals, washing the corridors in alternating waves of dim red and pitch black.</p><p>She adjusted her armor, making sure every part was firmly attached. Helmet on, armor on, EMG locked and loaded. Slow, deep breaths, just like in training.</p><p>“<em>Tik tik tik.</em>”</p><p>A sound echoed behind her, like claws ticking on the tiles.</p><p>In the blink of an eye Ruby turned around. Nothing. The corridor was clear.</p><p>“<em>Tik tik tik.</em>”</p><p>She swiveled back. The sound had come from behind this time.</p><p>“<em>Tik tik tik.</em>”</p><p>They were toying with her. She pivoted back and forth, completely exposed and with no idea of the enemy’s position. She heard a growl here, saw a darting shadow there, but couldn’t place any of them.</p><p>A whirring sound rose in the distance, and Ruby noticed the lights at the far end of the hallway switch on with a loud <em>snap</em>. The power had been restored.</p><p>
  <em>Someone else made it.</em>
</p><p>The corridor gradually came into full illumination in large strips, and Ruby prepared herself for a confrontation as the wave of white approached her.</p><p>
  <em>Snap. Snap. SNAP.</em>
</p><p>Nothing. So far, nothing. Ruby knew the enemy was still out there, and she knew they’d surely attack once they were brought into the light.</p><p>
  <em>SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.</em>
</p><p>The light over Ruby turned on, revealing an imp not ten meters away. Releasing a fierce screech, the imp pounced at her with claws outstretched. She ducked and rolled out of the way to retaliate with her pistol. With keen marksmanship she shot the creature’s knees and put a final bullet between its eyes, but her gunshots would have revealed her position to anything on the deck. Before the imp hit the ground, Ruby was already running down the hallway at full speed.</p><p>She tore past one locked door after the other, determined to reach the VEGA terminal before her pursuers caught up with her. Growls echoed behind her, and when she turned she could see dark shapes dart from around corners.</p><p>Ruby reached the door to the networking hub, desperately placing her palm to the access pad.</p><p>“<em>Access granted. Hello, Agent Taylor.”</em></p><p>Rushing into the chamber as soon as it opened, she slammed the SEAL DOOR button on the wall beside her. She knew the room had no other exit.</p><p>But they didn’t.</p><p>Moments after closing, something slammed against the door. Something meaty. Claws scratched the metal as the perpetrator howled in frustration. Ruby heard other imps arrive, and she kneeled with pistol at the ready as still and quiet as possible.</p><p>After a few seconds the scratching on the door stopped, and Ruby heard the creatures skulk away with bitter growling.</p><p>She wasn’t sure they were gone for good, but she put her pistol down and took a moment to calm her nerves.</p><p>Standing up, she approached the VEGA terminal.</p><p>The VEGA networking hub was a dim semicircular room with a series of manual input monitors in the center. Only these were illuminated; the room’s walls were completely dark and meant to contrast with projected holographic displays. Ruby read the message presented on the central monitors.</p><p>WARNING: DEMONIC INVASION IN PROGRESS</p><p>
  <em>No shit.</em>
</p><p>Ruby closed the emergency message and established the link to the VEGA network, bringing the primary displays up. The reply was immediate.</p><p><em>&lt;Hello, Agent Taylor. It is good to see you alive and well.</em>&gt;</p><p>VEGA spoke softly but just audibly. It seemed he understood Ruby’s situation.</p><p>“VEGA. What’s happening?”</p><p>&lt;<em>The exact cause of the invasion has not yet been determined, but the entire Mars Base is on high alert. I suspect the detonation of some type of Lazarus Wave is to blame. Most if not all UAC employees will be either zombified or deceased. Might I ask, how did you survive the blast wave?&gt;</em></p><p>Ruby pondered for a moment.</p><p>“I…don’t know. I was here in the Hospital, changing floors on an elevator when the attack hit. I heard the screams and the roars but…I don’t know.”</p><p>&lt;<em>Would you have happened to use the Hospital’s northwest elevator, to change somewhere between the second and fifth floors?&gt;</em></p><p>“…Yeah. I’d just passed the third floor when the wave hit. I pressed the STOP button and stayed there till everything quieted down.”</p><p>&lt;<em>There do exist a number of dead zones within the Mars Base which would, theoretically, shield human beings from a transmitted Lazarus Wave.&gt;</em></p><p>“Are there any more survivors, VEGA?”</p><p>&lt;<em>Regretfully, that information is being restricted by Central Command.</em>&gt;</p><p>“C-Central Command? Hayden and Pierce? VEGA, what’s going o-?”</p><p>&lt;<em>Pardon me, Agent Taylor. I apologize for interrupting but you don’t have much time left. If you wish to survive, please pay close attention to what I’m about to say.&gt;</em></p><p>Ruby gulped. She’d been through her own fair share of firefights and containment breaches but this…she didn’t like this one bit.</p><p>&lt;<em>The situation has been classified as a Category Five emergency. As you’re aware, protocol dictates that under event of a Category Five emergency, surviving Command members will have full operational authority over UAC assets. Unfortunately, most of the Base is on lockdown and Command has selected the Terminus ‘Scorched Mars’ policy. Survivors will not be allowed to leave the planet.&gt;</em></p><p><em>This is bad</em>. Ruby’s mind raced as VEGA continued.</p><p>&lt;<em>Fortunately, I can assure you that Command is not yet aware of your survival, and I will not reveal you are alive unless it is explicitly asked of me. Head to the Spaceport. You may use the lockdown to avoid being monitored by Command or even by me. Avoid manned facilities as much as possible and use an emergency escape shuttle to evacuate.&gt;</em></p><p>
  <em>The Spaceport? The Spaceport is majorly far away! How the hell am I supposed to get there without Command noticing? Without getting killed by demons?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;I can’t tell you any more but I can suggest you head to the Radiology Department. Third floor, room 348. Not far from your position. What you may find there could increase your odds of survival.&gt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Radiology Department? Wha-why?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;The situation is grim, Agent Taylor. Once you leave this room, I will not be able to help you. I set off an alert on the other side of this floor some time ago. It will allow you to safely exit this hub. After that you will be on your own.&gt;</em>
</p><p>Ruby nodded. This was no time for panic. She was still alive, still breathing, and if she had a chance to reach the Spaceport and leave the planet, the Spaceport was where she was heading.</p><p>“Thank you, VEGA,” she said while turning to leave.</p><p>&lt;<em>Good luck, Agent Taylor.</em>&gt;</p><p>Sure enough, the deck was clear when Ruby stepped out of the hub, and she could even hear an alarm sounding in the distance. She took one last glance at the VEGA terminal before the door shut behind her.</p><p>
  <em>Should I leave now or check out the Radiology Department first? What the hell could be in there that could help my chances?</em>
</p><p>With what VEGA had told her, Ruby didn’t fully trust the AI, but he had kept his word: there were no demons out to meet her when the door opened.</p><p>She sighed. As she was, she had no chance of reaching the Spaceport by herself. Any help at all, even an old sentry bot, was better than nothing.</p><p><em>This better be worth it, </em>she thought as she headed for a stairway to the third floor.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>KEYCARD.</p><p>The Marine found the keycard at the end of the walkway, hanging on a lanyard from the neck of a zombie’s corpse.</p><p>At least what was meant to look like a corpse. Besides those of a typical zombie, the body had no external damage or visible blood, lying all too natural against the wall.</p><p>They must think he was really stupid.</p><p>Rolling his eyes within his helmet, the Marine casually approached the zombie before standing on one foot and crushing the demon’s skull with the other. The creature growled in alarm the brief moment before its brain spilled on the floor.</p><p>The Marine stooped to pick the bloody keycard from the now-corpse’s neck. So much trouble for just a small yellow piece of metal.</p><p>Kicking the body aside, the Marine pulled open the maintenance hatch on which it lay. This passage would lead directly back to the cargo station.</p><p>Sure enough, the passage ended with a hatch opening downward, and the Marine dropped into the familiar cargo station and its nefarious Level 2 door to the satellite array.</p><p>“<em>Access granted,” </em>the automated voice spoke as the door finally opened.</p><p>Indignant, he bolted into the dock as soon as it opened. The airlock was there, but where was the control swit-</p><p>“Welcome to the UAC Mars Installation,” a perky voice chimed.</p><p>No.</p><p>“Located along the vast Valles Marineris canyon system-”</p><p>The Marine rushed to the projector and smashed it on the wall before the Spokeswoman could utter another word. Why were these projectors everywhere? Did the people of the twenty-second century not use pamphlets anymore?</p><p>Calming his breathing, the Marine glanced at a security station neatly tucked against the wall. A familiar looking object caught his eye. Enthusiastically stepping into the station, he crouched to pick up an assault rifle from the corpse of a soldier in black armor.</p><p>HEAVY ASSAULT RIFLE ACQUIRED</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – BULLETS</p><p>SECONDARY FIRING MODE – PRECISION BOLT</p><p>NOTE: SCORING HEADSHOT KILL WITH PRECISION BOLT WILL PRODUCE EXPLOSION</p><p>Although “heavy assault rifle” was a bit of an understatement; the firearm was more like a light machine gun. Closed-bolt with a box magazine – that vanished when synced to his storage matrix – and a tactical scope mounted on top.</p><p>Still, a familiar weapon to the Marine, with a very satisfying weight.</p><p>Feeling a quaint idea tickling at the back of his mind, he accessed the storage matrix’s settings and tweaked a few configurations.</p><p>Moments later, the ammo box reappeared attached to the rifle. He pulled the bolt and loaded a bullet into the chamber before test-firing a few rounds into the wall.</p><p>It felt good to watch the rounds be loaded into the rifle and have their cases expelled out the chamber. The sound was very satisfactory as well.</p><p>Not a bad weapon, the Marine thought.</p><p>He checked the security station for anything else of value. The gun racks on the wall were completely empty, although there was an armor cuirass tucked away in a corner. Walking over to pick it up, the Marine spotted a small grey box on the floor beside it. Inside was a collection of small spherical objects.</p><p>UAC PROXIMITY MINES ACQUIRED</p><p>THROW TO ATTACH TO SURFACE – WILL DETONATE UPON DETECTING ENEMY</p><p>He nonchalantly raised his eyebrows. New equipment was fine, he just needed to find the airlock switch.</p><p>Turning to leave the security station, he spotted the switch on the wall beside the doorway. That explained why he hadn’t found it earlier.</p><p>He pressed it and proceeded to the airlock while checking his automap. There was a lift to the satellite control station on the other end of a cargo loading zone, with a considerable number of imps and zombies scurrying about the structures. He’d have to thin their numbers if he wanted to reach the control station. Hearing the airlock hiss open, he switched off the automap and stormed into the loading bay.</p><p>The Marine fired at a pair of soldiers standing right outside the airlock. To his surprise, the soldiers fell with just a few rifle rounds.</p><p>Not a bad weapon at all.</p><p>He turned his attention to the battlefield. It stood on the edge of yawning ravine, with the faulty satellite dish mounted on an adjacent platform. Spanning columns and pipes blocked most available lines of sight, while elevated walkways provided the enemy with advantageous sniping positions.</p><p>Switching to his shotgun, the Marine leapt onto a walkway while dropping a proximity mine at his feet. A few moments later he heard an explosion accompanied by the unmistakable sound of splashing gore. All too easy.</p><p><em>BANG BANG BANG! </em>The shotgun was perfect for dealing with demons in this labyrinthine environment. Point-blank blasts dealt quickly with foes that pounced from behind corners, while the occasional shrapnel shot was more than enough for those that sniped from a distance.</p><p>The Marine sprinted across a walkway approached in both directions by imps. He dropped a mine before spectacularly leaping past the encroaching demons. The mine exploded moments later, turning all the imps to steaming gibs and bringing the walkway loudly down onto the Martian dirt.</p><p>With the demon’s numbers comfortably reduced, the Marine advanced to a collection of platforms that led to the station lift, planting a mine behind him for good measure.</p><p>This part of the base exterior was still multi-leveled but with large open spaces, more favorable to the Marine. Equipping the heavy assault rifle, he unloaded a hail of bullets unto the demons that blocked his path. Imps, soldiers, and zombies alike were torn apart by .50 caliber full metal jacket rounds.</p><p>A dark imp on the platform above threw a green fireball. The Marine dodged it and sniped the demon with the tactical scope. <em>BOOM. </em>Dead. A plasma soldier began to charge a heat blast. <em>BANG</em>. Gone.</p><p>Seeing a clear path to the station lift, the Marine ran for the gate when a red shape sprung out from behind a column, and he saw burning fireballs form in its hands.</p><p>Pyroimp.</p><p>The Marine quickly turned for cover behind a column but not before the demon unleashed a stream of hellfire from its hands, washing the Marine in scorching red flames. His ARMOR ticked down to 31. Worthless scum. It must have warped in during the battle, which explained why it hadn’t shown up in his automap.</p><p>He fell back to put distance between himself and the pyroimp. It was a heinous creature; bright red in color with vicious white spikes all over its body. The fireballs it launched at the Marine erupted into pools of flaming fluid that burned on the ground and walls. He did his best to dodge its attacks but was unable to get a clear shot without entering its aggressive line of fire, and after several hits his ARMOR was gone.</p><p>Gritting his teeth, he rushed out of cover while strafing around the pyroimp and switching to the shotgun. The speedy creature managed to dodge a direct hit but was faltered by stray buckshot, and just as the Marine pumped the shotgun to reload, two more pyroimps dropped from the rafters and charged hellfire streams. This time however, he had nowhere to find cover, and he took the full strength of both attacks.</p><p>He retreated to analyze the situation. Three pyroimps guarding the lift entrance, a few soldiers and normal imps scattered across the structures, 65 HEALTH, and almost no bullets.</p><p>First things first. The Marine threw a grenade and shot it in mid-air. The pyroimps were too far apart to be damaged by the explosion but they were faltered by the blast, and the Marine hoped that would buy him a few seconds.</p><p>Falling back to the labyrinthine portion of the area, he sighted a rifle soldier, and after faltering it with a few M1911 shots he punched a hole in its chest. 6 HEALTH and ten bullets. An imp leaped from behind a column with murderous intent, upon which he swept its legs out from underneath and broke its back on his knee. 5 HEALTH and eight bullets. Hearing the distinct sound of a chainsaw nearby, the Marine rushed towards the sound. He recognized the culprit: it was the same zombie which had killed him earlier. A fully charged Blood Punch reduced it to steaming red smears on the walls. 12 HEALTH, sixteen bullets, and a chainsaw battery.</p><p>Adequately restored, the Marine checked to see if any of the pyroimps had followed. Sure enough, one leapt onto the walkway above the Marine. Fully charging the EMG’s secondary, he aimed and pressed the trigger. The surge knocked the demon off the railing, and with impeccable accuracy the Marine blew off the creature’s head as it fell and watched the body tumble into the canyon below. One down.</p><p>He spotted another pyroimp drop to ground level and begin charging a fire stream. He stunned it with a quick charged shot before equipping his chainsaw. The spinning metal teeth chewed effortlessly through hide and bone alike, drenching the Marine in a shower of thick blood and gore.</p><p>Disgusting.</p><p>Fortunately, the Praetor Suit absorbed the deluge and converted it into munitions, yielding a bountiful supply of bullets.</p><p>One to go.</p><p>With its brethren gone, the last pyroimp assailed the Marine with scorching hatred. It lobbed fireball after fireball, setting large swathes of the bay on fire. Pushed back by the crimson flames, the Marine retreated almost all the way back to the airlock. He stared as the pyroimp came into view: a dark figure emerging from the flames, claws dripping with burning fluid and its teeth bared in animosity.</p><p>He considered raising his shotgun, but instead just casually rested it on his shoulders. Continuing forward, the demon screeched as flames erupted from its hands, raising them to attack before a loud <em>beep </em>suddenly interrupted its self-aggrandizing. The pyroimp looked down to find itself stepping on a small metallic sphere with a blinking red light. The Marine might have described the pyroimp’s expression as surprise or dread before the mine detonated and the demon’s innards were splattered across the arena.</p><p>The Marine indifferently wiped a glob of flesh off his visor. So predictable.</p><p>Stepping between the dwindling flames, the Marine took the lift up to the control station and cycled through the airlock. He passed by empty computer terminals and rooms with blinking servers, blood smearing across the walls and screens. Checking his automap, he noticed an odd icon marked in one of the rooms, one that looked like a boxed lock. He jaunted off the main path to the satellite control station for the icon, finding a large safe with a screen stacked on top of a desk.</p><p>&lt;<em>That is a high-grade digital safe,&gt; </em>interjected the computer all of a sudden. &lt;<em>UAC employees use them to store valuable supplies or personal items of significance. With the Praetor Suit, you should be able to hack it. I wouldn’t suggest you </em>manually<em> force it open; you may damage its contents.</em>&gt;</p><p>Pressing his palm to the screen, the Marine established a link to the safe’s system. He stood still for a few seconds as he unraveled the safe’s defenses, and soon after the screen turned green and the safe slid open with a loud <em>clang.</em></p><p>The first thing the Marine noticed was the digit under his Calibrator counter tick up to a 3. He had earned a second point earlier after defeating the pyroimps; apparently analytic concentration applied as well. If only he had useful boost schematics to spend them on.</p><p>After pulling the safe door open all the way, the second thing he noticed was the blue set of combat armor stored inside. It looked remarkably advanced: a clear outer shell covered the entire suit while glowing lines faintly gleamed on the blue underlayer.</p><p>&lt;<em>A prototype Bio Armor. It offers unparalleled protection while simultaneously boosting the wearer’s vitality. Once equipped, it will raise your HEALTH and ARMOR to maximum capacity. Although you can choose to store it now for future use.&gt;</em></p><p>The Marine contemplated for a moment. He currently had 88 HEALTH, and didn’t anticipate any dire threat at the moment. Grabbing the Bio Armor, he moved it into his Suit’s storage.</p><p>NEW BOOST SYNTHESIZED – MEGA CHARGE</p><p>HEALTH AND ARMOR WILL BE INSTANTLY BOOSTED TO 200 EACH</p><p>EFFECTS LAST UNTIL EXHAUSTED BY DAMAGE</p><p>FABRICATION COST – 5 CALIBRATION CYCLES</p><p>That was more like it. The Marine was about to leave when he noticed one last glint inside the safe. He reached in and pulled out a small figurine of…him.</p><p>It looked like a toy, comically disproportionate with a huge head atop a stubby body, but impeccably made nonetheless. Printed from acrylic and resin, it was undoubtedly a miniature model of himself.</p><p>As he held the toy a long-forgotten memory flashed in the Marine’s mind. A young boy lying awake under his bed covers at night, a dinosaur toy in one hand and a robot toy in the other. Both figurines glowed faintly in the dark, and the boy quietly engaged in a fictional battle of epic proportions, hoping his father wouldn’t catch him playing again.</p><p>But that had been a long time ago, and the Marine quickly forced the memory out of his mind. He was not in his childhood bedroom but in a bloodstained facility on Mars, and the toy he held in his hand was not his. It must have meant something to someone else, someone who was likely now dead. He softly bumped the toy’s hand with his own fist before gently placing it back in the safe. Turning back out the room, he headed for the control station.</p><p>He stepped into a semicircular room with a series of terminals in the center and holographic displays on the walls. As he approached, a live feed of Samuel Hayden faded into view on the primary display. On the other side of the screen stood a total replacement cyborg, an imposing yet elegant frame of metal, polymer, and glass. His cybernetic body had a white outer shell with black joints, and no visible features on his face save for an unblinking vertical strip of blue light.</p><p>The cyborg lightly chuckled as the Marine entered the room.</p><p>“<em>You’ve returned.</em></p><p>
  <em>The only flesh and blood to walk between dimensions.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I must admit, I had doubts that you would ever wake. Some part of me even hoped you never would.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But to see you standing there, I can’t help but feel certain…admiration. It is a privilege, to be acquainted with one such as yourself.”</em>
</p><p>The Marine scoffed. He’d dealt with others like this Hayden before. First he would try to command him, then he would try to kill him, and when that failed he would try to negotiate. The Marine despised it when they begged for their lives.</p><p>Lastly, he would die.</p><p>At the Marine’s feet, the floor panel in the center of the room slid open and out rose a large white cylindrical device. It unlocked to reveal a clear sphere that blazed from within.</p><p>“<em>It’s a gift. Take it. It will give you strength, help you on your journey</em>.”</p><p>The Marine grabbed the transparent sphere, feeling a familiar energy burn inside before crushing it, bracing as scarlet bolts arced across his hand and dissipated into his Suit. The device sank back into the floor and disappeared beneath the sliding panel.</p><p>ENERGY OVERLOAD</p><p>POWER CAN BE REROUTED TO REPAIR DAMAGED MODULE</p><p>The Marine stared at the diagnostic map displayed on his HUD, pondering which subsystem he should repair first. Selecting the Vanguard Bracer, he watched as a blue hexagonal energy shield enveloped his left forearm before culminating in a runic symbol in the palm of his hand, both of which faded away into nothingness.</p><p>VANGUARD BRACER RESTORED</p><p>INCOMING ATTACKS CAN NOW BE PARRIED</p><p>CERTAIN PROJECTILES CAN BE CAUGHT AND RETURNED</p><p>Hayden’s image appeared on the display as the white device sunk back into the floor. On the other side of the screen stood a total replacement cyborg, an imposing yet elegant frame of metal, polymer, and glass. His cybernetic body had a white outer shell with black joints, and no visible features on his face save for an unblinking vertical strip of blue light.</p><p>“<em>That is pure Argent Energy you’ve just taken into your system. It seems to agree with you. Hmm. I will unlock the remaining Argent Cells in the Base for you.”</em></p><p>Argent. So, they called it Argent. That was the plasma they were extracting on Mars: the Aethereal energy that permeated the Immortal Realms. And there was only one place they could be extracting it from: Hell. There was a Hell portal open on Mars, and the UAC were using it to harvest Hell’s energy.</p><p>The audacity.</p><p>The stupidity.</p><p>Keeping his eyes on Hayden, the Marine stepped over to the terminals and resumed the dish alignment procedure. An image of the moving dish came into view on an adjacent display as the Base’s status report finally loaded. The talking computer recited the figures that appeared on screen.</p><p>&lt;<em>61330 UAC members deceased, 81% of the Base is on lockdown, demonic presence throughout the Mars Installation is critical. According to the records, Doctor Hayden, the invasion originated in the Lazarus facility. Approximately 27 minutes ago, a Lazarus Wave was detonated manually by Doctor Olivia Pierce, transforming sixty-four percent of all UAC employees into Possessed. The rest were killed by the wave itself.&gt;</em></p><p>Sixty-four percent conversion? What were these people doing?</p><p>That woman, she was responsible for all of this. She had killed everyone in this installation and allowed the demons into this universe.</p><p>
  <em>&lt;All demons contained within the Base, a total of 4926 inmates, have been released from their holding cells. The Lazarus Refractor is operating at full power, weakening the integrity of the space-time continuum around the Argent Fracture and facilitating demonic incursion into our dimension.&gt;</em>
</p><p>They were capturing demons too? Opening Hellgates and building machines to aid demonic invasion? The Marine struggled to restrain his fury, clenching his hands into fists.</p><p>Noticing the Marine’s rage, Hayden interjected.</p><p>“<em>I feel I should apologize for what’s happened her, some of my employees took things too far. Olivia was the cause of all this and I believe…YOU…will have to deal with her in time. You may not agree with our research but know this: We did not create the Argent Fracture. It was a serendipitous discovery, a wellspring of infinite potential during a time of crisis on Earth. We simply exploited Hell and its resources because it was in mankind’s best interest to do so. What you see now is the cost of that progress.”</em></p><p>The Marine stared in contempt, but he unclenched his fists. He knew better than anyone that interdimensional rifts didn’t just happen naturally. But if Hayden was speaking the truth, and the UAC hadn’t built the Hell portal, then who did?</p><p>He visibly shook his head and crossed his arms. He didn’t trust the cyborg, and even though the computer stated it would help him, it was clear that it operated in Hayden’s service. The Marine suspected there was much more they weren’t telling him.</p><p>“<em>I understand you don’t trust me. Considering your position, that is to be expected but I am not your enemy. I want to stop this invasion as much as you do so please, allow us to help you. VEGA has informed me that you and the Praetor Suit have been impaired by the prison tomb you were found in. I am willing to place all UAC assets at your disposal to help you recover your power. We can put an end to this invasion, together.”</em></p><p>The computer interrupted before the Marine could react.</p><p>&lt;<em>Excuse me, but a primary control room has been activated in the Argent Facility. Doctor Pierce is hijacking the Argent Tower.</em>&gt;</p><p>“<em>On screen, please.</em>”</p><p>The display switched from Hayden to a different scene. It was the old woman in some control station, facing towards the camera while standing coldly over the corpses of human workers, some on the floor while others still sat on their chairs. She was inputting commands into a holographic terminal in front of her.</p><p>“Authorization: Olivia Pierce Alpha Four, Zero, Two.”</p><p>A map of the Mars Base appeared on her display with red circles superimposed on its facilities, which she dragged towards a central location.</p><p>“<em>All power rerouted to Argent Energy Tower</em>,” spoke the facility voice.</p><p>&lt;<em>She has locked me out, Doctor Hayden.&gt;</em></p><p>A diagram of a mechanical tower-like structure came into view, accompanied by a tall digital slider.</p><p>“<em>She is trying to tear open the portal between our world and theirs.”</em></p><p>Pierce put her hand to the slider and slowly dragged it to full height, despite the system’s alarms and warning messages.</p><p>As the bright red displays finally faded, Pierce looked directly at the camera.</p><p>“You could not have saved them, anyway.”</p><p>The Marine immediately pulled out his EMG and put a shot between Pierce’s eyes on the display. If she was receiving his image, she made no indication of noticing. She turned around and slowly walked away before the feed cut out and the display switched back to Hayden.</p><p>“<em>The system won’t allow anyone but Olivia to override it now. We will have to shut down the Argent Tower manually from the surface. The shortest route to the Argent Facility is through the Foundry, an extension wing of Resource Operations.</em></p><p>
  <em>Do we have a deal?”</em>
</p><p>The Marine sighed.</p><p>He didn’t wish to cooperate with Hayden at all. If it was up to him, he would reduce the entire planet to dust, Argent energy and Hayden be damned. But he couldn’t. His strength was gone, and he would need Hayden’s assistance if he wanted to stop this invasion.</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>Deal.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Third floor.</p><p>Ruby leaned across the doorway and peered in both directions. All clear.</p><p>Glancing in all directions and constantly looking over her shoulders, she headed for the Radiology Department.</p><p>
  <em>I don’t get it. Someone deliberately released a Lazarus Wave, something only Command could do, but why? Why would they kill all these people? Weren’t they always going on with that ‘benefit humanity’ stuff?</em>
</p><p>She pushed these thoughts out of her head and forced herself to focus. She could ask questions later. Now was the time to concen-</p><p>“<em>RRAARRGGHH!!”</em></p><p>
  <em>GOD DAMMIT!</em>
</p><p>She had turned a corner straight into the path of a Possessed soldier. It roared upon seeing her and raised its rifle to fire.</p><p>Ruby quickly put a bullet in its brain but it was too late. Her cover had been blown and she could hear movement near her position. But this time she couldn’t run away. If she was going to find out what was in room 348, it was now or never.</p><p>
  <em>If I run, I might be able to lose them.</em>
</p><p>Running at full speed across the hospital deck, Ruby kept her eyes peeled for any signs that pointed towards Radiology. A roar echoed from someplace nearby, and she tightened her grip on her pistol.</p><p>An imp leapt out from behind a column. <em>POW. </em>Dead. Another dropped from a rafter. <em>POW. </em>Gone. Ruby’s aim was sharp but she did not congratulate herself yet: she knew that where one imp was, more would always follow.</p><p>“<em>AARRGGHH!”</em></p><p>A shotgun soldier stood in front of her. Ruby aimed her EMG, lining up the sights with the demon’s head, and-</p><p>“<em>MORTAL!”</em></p><p>The soldier’s eyes filled Ruby’s mind with numbing terrors, its voice reverberating deep within her core. She pulled the trigger and missed.</p><p>
  <em>Oh no.</em>
</p><p>The visions vanished as quickly as they appeared, but long enough for the soldier to fire at Ruby. The buckshot loudly struck her armor and Ruby was pushed back by the force of the impact.</p><p>Attempting to recover her composure, she realigned her sights and finally blew the creature’s brains out.</p><p>
  <em>Please, no no no. Not here.</em>
</p><p>She spotted a sign that read Radiology. She was getting close.</p><p>She headed towards the sign and spotted at an imp hanging on the wall, teeth bared and claws burning.</p><p>Raising her pistol, she –</p><p>-realized the imp wasn’t roaring, it was jeering. It mocked her struggle and resolve to live, its voice whispering terrible things into her ears.</p><p>
  <em>What?</em>
</p><p>She snapped out of it but not before the imp pounced and slashed at her.</p><p>Yelling, she pushed the imp back with a well-placed kick and struck it with her pistol. Knocked to the ground, another strike bashed its head in.</p><p>Her neural implant was malfunctioning again. Without it, Ruby was powerless to shield her mind from the demons’ psionic attacks.</p><p>
  <em>That’s why I was here TO BEGIN WITH!</em>
</p><p>Her armor was holding but it wouldn’t last forever. She needed to shake them off, and fast.</p><p>She entered the last lobby that would lead to room 348, only to find it occupied with soldiers and imps.</p><p>
  <em>SON OF A-</em>
</p><p>Without hesitation Ruby grabbed the nearest zombie, a former worker, and held it in front of her as she picked off the soldiers with her pistol. After several shots her meat shield was falling apart and her pistol ran empty. She threw the zombie with full force at a plasma soldier and loaded another clip.</p><p>Reloaded, she circled around the room to dodge the imps’ fireballs as she returned her own fire. Dead, dead, dead. An imp pounced at her. Punch, stomp. Switching to the EMG’s secondary, she fired a fully charged shot at a squad of soldiers huddled close together. The blast tore the very flesh off their bones, and Ruby spotted a grenade drop from one of their belts. She glanced towards the lobby entrance.</p><p>She’d taken care of the demons within the lobby but reinforcements were charging down the hallway. With no other options left, she rushed for the grenade and picked it up. She felt a familiar chill creep into her mind as she flicked off the pin, and she knew they were coming for her.</p><p>“<em>I WILL EAT YOUR SOUL!”</em></p><p>
  <em>“YOUR KIND ARE OVER!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“DIE, MORTAL!”</em>
</p><p>Ruby’s vision blurred as the demons approached, and she could hear her blood roaring in her ears. Throwing the grenade in their direction, she rolled behind a pillar and covered her ears.</p><p>Moments later the grenade exploded and Ruby’s mind went quiet.</p><p>Hearing nothing, she peered from behind cover to find the lobby completely empty, piles of steaming gore where the demons had once been.</p><p>Clearing her throat, Ruby strode across the room, picking up pistol clips from fallen soldiers and even the odd armor bracer that remained functional.</p><p>Room 348. <em>Medical Imaging?</em></p><p>Her destination was right around the corner. Fixing the last bracer onto her arm, Ruby reloaded her pistol and continued forward.</p><p>The room was surprisingly clean. Despite the disarray and scattered items, there were no corpses in the control room. Not even a single drop of blood. She glanced towards the scanner visible through a window. Empty. In fact, Ruby could find nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly nothing that seemed useful.</p><p>
  <em>Why would VEGA tell me to come here?</em>
</p><p>At that moment she heard a thud nearby. It came from the adjacent computer room.</p><p>Ruby inched closer, careful not to step on anything that might make noise. She pressed herself to the wall beside the door panel. It was locked. She quietly inputted her security code, reading herself for a confrontation. Taking a deep breath, she slammed the OPEN button and stormed into the room.</p><p>“Wait! Don’t shoot!”</p><p>Ruby stared in shock. The man on the other side of her pistol stared in shock, as did the others beside him.</p><p>In front of Ruby, hidden in Room 348 on the third floor of the Mars Base Hospital, were five other human survivors.</p><p>*          *          *</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Rip and Tear</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“The UAC has been aware of the existence of Hell since the Phobos Event of 2046. However, direct exploration of Hell would prove impossible for the next 50 years due to its metaphysical nature. While it is conclusive that Hell is at least a partially physical plane of existence, it is simultaneously subject to a higher abstract reality the UAC does not fully understand. Hell also appears to be a realm of pure physicopsychic chaos: Matter and energy are horrifically warped, space and time are rendered asunder, while minds and even artificial intelligences are corrupted or destroyed. Indeed, none of these concepts exist as is conventionally known within Hell, limiting the UAC’s study solely to that of exfiltrated entities or artifacts until the turn of the century. The development of techno-arcane equipment such as the Hayden Field, Dimensional Tethers, the Psionic Compass, and the reverse-engineering of Runes would allow the remote exploration and retrieval of artifacts directly from Hell. Despite the success of automated surveys, the first manned expedition was attempted in 2145, under the express order and command of Dr. Hayden.”</em>
</p><p>- UAC Report File "Hell Expeditions"</p><p> </p><p>The Marine stepped into the Foundry, taking a moment to breath in the sight. It was a colossal multi-tiered facility bathed in a bright orange glow. The main floors and installations were built around a massive central cavern, at the bottom of which was a veritable sea of molten metal. It flowed in channels and falls throughout the lower floors, presumably to other sectors to be cast for manufacture. Hovering cargo craft zipped through the air while large containers shuttled material on overhead monorails.</p><p>The Marine stood at the very topmost floor in the Foundry and his HUD marked the entrance to the Argent Facility just up ahead, but from his position he could see the thick gate was sealed shut by the lockdown.</p><p>
  <em>“The Argent Facility is located past the reactor turbine room, but you will not be allowed access until the demonic threat is brought down inside the Foundry. Our security systems cannot be overridden.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;There are two Gore Nests you must destroy to deactivate the Foundry lockdown. I will mark these as well as the nearest jump pack, which I recommend to navigate this facility.&gt;</em>
</p><p>The Marine brought up his automap to assess the best course of action. His scanner was not connected to the Foundry network, but the facility’s open nature boosted the automap’s range. The first Gore Nest was located on the topmost level by waste processing, and the second was at the bottommost level just above the lava. Bold design choice.</p><p>As for the “jump pack,” it was located in a nearby control room not far from his position, along with a peculiar marker indicated on the map. A runestone. Normally he didn’t wield runes, but in his state they might prove useful.</p><p>Switching off the automap, the Marine stepped into the adjacent corridor and found a pool of luminous green fluid on the floor, leaked from a pair of ruptured barrels. An icon on his HUD indicated radioactivity, but there was no way to cross the hall without passing through it. He tentatively stretched his leg out and put a foot in the pool. No change to his HEATH. Just normal radioactive waste then. He breathed a sigh of relief and nonchalantly waded through the liquid.</p><p>The runestone was located on the other side of a small casting pit, but the bridge was destroyed and the Marine was certain he couldn’t make the jump.</p><p>Jump pack. What was that, then? He turned to where the jump pack was indicated. It was a metal backpack with jet thrusters on its bottom, still worn by the upper half of a dead soldier at the base of a terminal.</p><p>The terminal played a holographic recording as the Marine approached. It depicted a hulking demon pick up the screaming soldier and tear him in two with its bare hands. It had a muscular body, jagged claws, and a grim skull-like complexion, standing a full meter taller than the Marine.</p><p>He stared at the lumbering brute. Its breed was the lesser offspring of the Elder God Abaddon, yet able to tear an armored tank apart with frightening ease, and with firepower to match.</p><p>Hell Knight.</p><p>It wouldn’t be long before these and bigger demons showed up. The Marine had to hurry. He disengaged the jump pack from the soldier and integrated it into his Suit.</p><p>DELTA-V JUMP PACK ACQUIRED</p><p>EXPEND FUEL FOR LIMITED VERTICAL LIFT</p><p>FUEL REGENERATES WHEN PACK IS NOT IN USE</p><p>The Marine would have rather used his inertia drive, but this was better than nothing. He stepped onto the broken bridge and cautiously fired up the jump pack, getting a feel for its lift as he crossed the gap.</p><p>The runestone was a large circular construct floating slightly off the platform with a bright green symbol in its center. This one was cast out of smooth black metal with clean edges and symmetrical facets. The Marine touched the stone, feeling the rune flash in his mind.</p><p>RUNE ACQUIRED – ARMORED OFFENSIVE</p><p>MELEE KILLS WILL DROP ARMOR</p><p>Having equipped the rune, the Marine crossed the gap again with a solid jet burst, hearing a familiar growling echo down the hallway he’d come from. A group of zombies were crossing the radioactive waste, but the Marine noticed their feet were being eaten away by the corrosive liquid. As he watched, one of the zombie’s legs crumbled apart and the creature fell face-first into the pool, melting into a bloody black sludge.</p><p>Glancing at a pallet loaded with green barrels, the word NUKAGE and the radioactivity symbol printed on their casings, the Marine equipped his shotgun and blasted the barrels apart. Immediately their contents spilled out in a viscous bubbling cascade that permeated the room with thick green gas. The Marine stood indifferently amid the pollution, but the zombies growled violently as they began coughing up blood, their eyes bursting and even their flesh melting off their bones.</p><p>The Marine callously walked over their smoking remains as he headed for the first Gore Nest, mentally deriding whoever had left this toxic material out in the open.</p><p>Irresponsible cretins.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>“Wake up.”</p><p>“Wake up.”</p><p>Huh?</p><p>“Wake up, now!”</p><p>I opened my eyes to find myself hanging on a rack, other similar figures to my sides and front as far as I could see. Unlike them though, I was awake. Was I the only one alive?</p><p>I stared past them at my surroundings. I didn’t recognize this place; the walls were a dark featureless grey and a thick mist filled the air. I looked down but could see nothing through the fog. What was this thing on me? Is that my jump pack?</p><p>
  <em>“The harness above you! Break it!”</em>
</p><p>What?</p><p>I looked up to where the voice indicated. My jump pack was attached to a ceiling rail by a thin metal connector, but there was no way I’d be able to break it.</p><p>
  <em>“Break it now!”</em>
</p><p>I desperately reached up and tore at the harness, which to my surprise broke. I fell through the fog and hit the ground hard, but I was unhurt.</p><p>What…what is this place? Where am I? …Who…am…</p><p>As I kneeled there on the floor, I realized that my mind was a complete and utter blank. I could remember nothing. Not where I was, how I got here.</p><p>I couldn’t even remember my own name.</p><p>
  <em>“Get up! Get up now!”</em>
</p><p>Who was speaking to me? I looked around but could see no one. That voice, had it come from…my head?</p><p>“Who is this? Is this…”</p><p>Colonel Johnson. Who was that? I remember that name, and that voice. A commanding officer, perhaps.</p><p>“Colonel Johnson, is that you?”</p><p>
  <em>“Damn right it’s me! Now get the hell off your knees, soldier! You need to get moving!”</em>
</p><p>“Colonel Johnson, my head…I…can’t remember anything.”</p><p>
  <em>“I know that! Your software is a damn mess and I’m trying to fix it fast! But you need to get out of there!”</em>
</p><p>Colonel Johnson’s voice reverberated through my head, but I didn’t move. My mind was a total white haze, and I couldn’t bring myself to get up off the floor.</p><p>As I lied there though, I spotted a scrap of paper tossed on the ground. I picked it up and found it was a photograph, a portrait of a family happily smiling together.</p><p>“My…is this…my…family?”</p><p>The picture was of two parents with a son between them. The boy had a wide grin with a comically missing tooth. He couldn’t have been older than ten. The mother beamed brightly behind him, her hand on the boy’s arm and her hair cascading down her shoulders in golden, luscious locks. Beside them stood the father, a tall proud man with a buzz cut and military uniform.</p><p>Is that…me?</p><p>A loud clang echoed far behind me. Someone was coming.</p><p>
  <em>“GET UP! NOW!”</em>
</p><p>Clutching the photograph in my hand, I scrambled to my knees and hurried away from the sound.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Ruby put her pistol down. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Others had really made it.</p><p>She forced herself to maintain focus, glancing back at the Imaging lobby. It was clear but the demons could return at any time, and there would certainly be more between there and the hospital exit.</p><p>She sealed the door and took a closer look at the survivors huddled on the floor. One of them was a soldier decked in white combat armor, who must have been guarding the lobby when the wave hit. Another was the technician in charge of the imaging scanner. The last three appeared to be patients who’d been waiting in the lobby, various UAC employees.</p><p>She crouched up to them and spoke softly but firmly, without taking her helmet off.</p><p>“I’m Agent Taylor, UAC Elite Guard three-one-eight. There’s been an attack and the Mars Base is on lockdown. We’re facing a major containment breach and we are all in grave danger. You must come with me. I’m heading to the Spaceport. Hopefully we can find an escape shuttle and evacuate this planet.”</p><p>The survivors nervously looked at each other as the soldier stepped forth.</p><p>“Agent, I’m First Lieutenant Mark Rogers.” The man’s voice hid a streak of uncertainty beneath his stoic tone. “These people are with me. You’re looking at civvies here. I don’t know how we can all make it to the Spaceport by ourselves. Shouldn’t we call for reinforcements? Have you contacted Command?”</p><p>Ruby took a moment to choose her words carefully, keeping an eye on the civilians gazing intently at her.</p><p>“Our forces are compromised, and it may be a while before reinforcements find us. Command has sent the message that all survivors should head to the Spaceport for immediate evac. We may come across troops along the way, but we can’t stay here much longer.”</p><p>One of the survivors spoke up, a middle-aged woman in grey engineer’s uniform and dark hair in a ponytail.</p><p>“Are you crazy? We can’t go out there all alone! We’re not soldiers, we’re workers! Those things are everywhere and they’ll kill us before we ever leave this place!”</p><p>Ruby stopped to think. She had passed a security station in the first floor on the way to her appointment. There’d definitely be weapons and maybe even armor there. And Rogers was carrying a HAR.</p><p>“Is anyone here carrying a weapon of any kind?” She asked. UAC regulation mandated every Tier II employee and above carry at least a standard-issue handgun.</p><p>Two of the survivors, an aging male scientist and the young female technician, unfastened EMG Mark IIIs from their belts. Weak but they didn’t run out of ammo. The third survivor, a remarkably calm middle-aged man with sleek hair and moustache, pulled aside his coat to reveal a Power Colt.</p><p>
  <em>What the hell?</em>
</p><p>“I only have a plasma cutter.”</p><p>Ruby tore her eyes off the gleaming revolver and to the engineer. In her hand was a battered mining implement.</p><p>“It’s better than nothing,” Ruby reassured as she stood up.</p><p>“All right, here’s the plan. There’s a security station on the first floor. If we reach it I can get us all supplies and heavier firepower. There may even be security armor for all of you.”</p><p>She peeked through the door port. The lobby was still empty, but she was worried the demons throughout the hospital had heard the firefight and would drop in at any moment. Time was running out fast.</p><p>“The tram station in the lower complex should be operational. We’ll take it straight to the Spaceport.”</p><p>A screech on the floor directly above them brought their gazes up. It was now or never.</p><p>“If you stay here, you will die. Lieutenant Rogers, you’re coming with me. The rest of you, make your choice now.”</p><p>The survivors remained huddled on the floor in abject terror, but a resounding roar from above quickly brought them to their feet, grabbing their pistols as they did so.</p><p>“You with the Colt, take point with me. Rogers, watch our six. The rest of you stay close. We’re moving out.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The Marine tore the rocket launcher from the possessed soldier, fused hands and all, and bludgeoned the creature to death with the heavy barrel.</p><p>The dying Gore Nest had summoned a squad of possessed soldiers, some with rocket launchers and the rest with long sleek firearms the Marine didn’t recognize. One of the rockets had barely missed him but he’d been caught in the blast, and he swiftly enacted his furious vengeance on the culprit demon.</p><p>Another soldier carrying one such new firearm aimed a blue laser sight at the Marine, who swiftly activated his Vanguard Bracer to block the attack. With a loud <em>ZAP</em> the weapon fired, and the metal flechette harmlessly shattered in a flash of bright shards as it struck the translucent barrier surrounding the Marine’s forearm. Railguns.</p><p>The Marine had found the first Gore Nest in an enclosed storage area where he still resided. He rushed for the exit hoping to lead the demons to a more favorable battlefield. His reflexes were flawless but he didn’t want to fight rocket-launching or railgun-firing soldiers in a confined environment.</p><p>He headed for a waste processing area located on the same level. Spotting a crowd of imps and soldiers loitering by the processor, he grabbed a grenade and threw it at them to thin their numbers. The grenade had just left the Marine’s hand before he turned around to retaliate against his pursuers. A rocket zombie stopped to take aim. Keenly swerving out of the rocket’s path, the Marine snatched it out of mid-air with his Bracer and threw it back at the soldier, whose explosion was immediately followed by that of the grenade.</p><p>Grabbing his assault rifle, the Marine unloaded fully automatic fury on the demons. He took care to avoid the railgun soldiers’ lightning-fast projectiles and the rocket soldiers’ explosive ones. As the battle waged, the Marine noticed a squad of soldiers with blue shoulder pads rapidly approaching. He threw a grenade at them but the soldiers activated clear blue shields from arm-mounted devices. The grenade bounced off their shields and harmlessly exploded in front of them, just as they returned fire from behind cover. The Marine turned his rifle unto them but to no avail; the rounds disintegrated upon striking the shields.</p><p>Infuriated, the Marine threw a grenade high over the soldiers and charged. It soared over their heads and struck the ground behind them, managing to falter them with its blast. He focused a Blood Punch and struck one of the shields, releasing a shock wave that shorted them all out. The Marine immediately focused another Blood Punch and struck the ground at his feet, blasting all the soldiers apart or over the railings to the molten metal below. With his new rune equipped, the Marine absorbed their plentiful deathly essence just as the Praetor Suit fabricated plating from their remains, bringing his ARMOR to 13 and his HEALTH to 117.</p><p>With the shield soldiers finished, the Marine turned his attention to the last demons scattered by the processor. The machinery appeared damaged, and nukage was spilling out of a large storage tank just as the tubing leaked green gas. He switched to his shotgun and fired at the pipes. With vicious hissing they burst open and vented noxious fumes unto the demons. An imp here hacked harshly as its skin erupted in sores, while a soldier there growled in pain as it doubled over and coughed up blood. Encouraged, the Marine aimed at the storage tank and fired. The buckshot hit its mark but the tank was too thick, and it would take too many shells to rupture it.</p><p>The Marine turned to his attackers, searching for the one enemy that could help him, and he found it. A rocket soldier busily slaughtering a pack of imps. The Marine switched to his M1911 and fired a shot at the soldier, hoping to get its attention. Sure enough, the soldier turned to the Marine, who promptly raised a middle finger in the zombie’s direction. The demon roared in rage and let loose a barrage of rockets at the Marine. The Marine quickly rushed out of the way and towards the nukage tank, hoping the soldier would follow. Meanwhile, the monster’s fury continued unchecked, carelessly massacring fellow demons in its single-minded effort to slay the Marine. The Marine reached the tank and stopped in front of it. With a furious roar, the soldier took aim and fired one last rocket.</p><p>Darting out of the rocket’s path and blast radius, the Marine watched as the ruptured tank exploded in a flood of toxic liquid. Realizing too late what it’d done, the soldier stared in horror before the wave fell upon it. The remaining imps and soldiers tried to escape but were also swept away. Howls of gurgling agony ensued as the demons melted into black sludge, while gaseous rumbling deep below indicated some had been swept over the edge directly into the ocean of lava.</p><p>The Marine stood coolly through it all even as the nukage swirled around him, making sure that no demons had survived the flood.</p><p>“Demonic threat reduced by fifty percent,” spoke the automated facility voice. “Radioactive contamination detected in waste processing. Sanitation has been alerted.”</p><p>The Marine set off for the second Gore Nest as he loudly splashed across the nukage, noticing the corrosive material had scoured the crusted dirt and gore off his Suit, which now gleamed with a sterling clean shine.</p><p>Good. He despised being covered in demon filth.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>First floor.</p><p>Ruby opened the door and peered around the corner for enemies. Nothing. Stepping out the staircase, she signaled the team to move forward. She and the Colt slinger took the lead while Rogers covered the rear, the three workers huddled in the middle.</p><p>With only a pistol in her own hand, the man’s revolver made up in covering the front, but her real intention was to keep an eye on him. Ruby didn’t trust anyone who would carry a Power Colt.</p><p>It was as strong as her EMG Mark V but not restricted to military use, and unlike the EMG it had no stunning function as it was not meant for security. Precise and concealable, a skilled marksman could use it to blow off a person’s head at two hundred meters with a single shot. The perfect weapon for bounty hunters and hired assassins. The man’s calm demeanor came into focus.</p><p>Despite her scruples, she had to admit it was certainly fortunate given the circumstances. Imps were cowards and they’d try to attack from the rear, where Rogers would make quick work of them with his HAR. It was the soldiers Ruby was worried about. Better two heavy-hitters in the front than just one.</p><p>Ruby peeked into the next corridor and immediately stopped, signaling the team to halt. There was a possessed soldier standing in the hallway, obstructing the shortest route to the security station. Fortunately, it had its back to them and hadn’t noticed them yet, quietly growling and periodically twitching.</p><p>She would have shot it there and then but her pistol was too loud and it would surely alert anything in the area, not to mention her clips were running low. The gunslinger seemed to understand, as he lowered his own weapon and waited for Ruby to proceed.</p><p>Ruby glanced at the technician’s Mark III. She pointed at the weapon and held her hand out for it. The technician obliged and handed over her handgun. Ruby grabbed a silencer from her belt and screwed it onto the Mark III, turning back to the soldier. She switched to its secondary mode and charged a power shot to full capacity, taking careful aim before pulling the trigger.</p><p>Without a sound, the soldier unceremoniously fell to the floor with a smoking hole in its head. She paused to hear if anything had been alerted. Silence. She detached her silencer from the technician’s Mark III and returned the handgun to its owner.</p><p>She reequipped her Mark V and signaled Rogers at the back of the group.</p><p>
  <em>Status?</em>
</p><p><em>All clear, </em>came the response.</p><p>Ruby stepped forth and quietly approached the soldier’s corpse. Its combat armor was broken in places and its hand was fused to the plasma rifle it carried. She discretely picked up the spare plasma cells from the soldier’s belt and fastened them to her own, signaling the team to keep moving.</p><p>She glanced at a wall placard depicting the floor layout. Not far now, but the first floor had an open, spacious structure with many vantage points and concealed areas, and Ruby expected an ambush from any direction.</p><p>The path she took them on had been mostly clear of corpses and body parts; the demons had hauled them off for whatever dark purposes they intended. But the first floor had been the most populated, and the team couldn’t avoid passing by several cadavers. They lay in various degrees of dismemberment and mutilation, and they came across a particularly disturbing sight: a disemboweled man hanging by his feet with what appeared to be human intestines, which judging by his own organs spilt onto his face and the floor below, were clearly not his.</p><p>Ruby quietly groaned and looked away, and the gunslinger stared past at the corridor beyond, but behind her the workers started to gag. She immediately turned and made them look at her. If they threw up, the noise and smell would undoubtedly draw anything in the floor to their position.</p><p><em>Eyes on me, </em>she instructed with hand signals.</p><p>
  <em>Slow, deep breaths-</em>
</p><p>“CONTACT!” Rogers yelled while raising his rifle.</p><p>The lieutenant and the gunslinger had already opened fire before Ruby spun around and aimed her own pistol. A pack of imps swarmed over the rafters and descended upon the team. With precise shots, Ruby and the gunslinger sniped the creatures as they fell, with Rogers smartly covering their rear as others pounced from behind.</p><p>“Follow me!” Ruby shouted as she charged down the hallway. Their position had just been given away.</p><p>The group raced down the floor with pursuers tight on their heels, the workers completely forgetting the weapons in their hands and merely running for their lives. A shotgun soldier jumped from behind a corner, which Ruby swiftly dispatched with a quick shot. Another kneeled and charged a plasma heat blast, which the gunslinger eliminated before it could fire.</p><p>Without warning, another imp pack suddenly charged from ahead as a squad of possessed soldiers approached from the rear. It was a trap.</p><p>“You three! Stay with Rogers!” Ruby shouted at the workers before turning to the gunslinger. “You! With me!”</p><p>Ruby ran at the imps as the lieutenant guarded the team’s back from cover, the workers closely behind. With evasive maneuvers she dodged the demons’ fireballs and eliminated them with precise headshots before they got too close. One imp leapt for her but she knocked the creature down with a solid punch and stomped its head in. She turned back to the mob to find the gunslinger aiming his Colt in her direction, an empty faraway look in his eyes. Before she could react he pulled the trigger, and the imp a meter away from her fell lifelessly as dark blood spurted from the stump that had once been its head.</p><p>With his Colt empty, the gunslinger ejected the spent casings and from his belt drew a circular device loaded with fresh rounds. A speedloader.</p><p><em>Just who the hell is this man?</em> Ruby thought as she raised her pistol once more.</p><p>She dropped an imp with a headshot, and another. Her EMG drew empty and as she reached for a fresh clip, her last one, she heard someone scream behind her.</p><p>Rogers was skillfully fending off the waves of possessed soldiers, but he was oblivious to the imp standing by the workers, the three of which were frozen in fear as the creature crawled towards them.</p><p>“WATCH OUT!”</p><p>But it was too late. The imp pounced at the young technician and savagely attacked at her, its burning claws and teeth effortlessly slicing through flesh and bone. The engineer and scientist by her side remained completely petrified even through her agonized screams.</p><p>Ruby rushed as fast as she could and grabbed the imp by the neck, throwing it at full force at another two preparing to attack. After grabbing her last clip she reloaded her pistol and charged a power shot to full capacity, firing it and blasting all three demons apart. She looked at the technician; deep gashes covered her body, her face had been horrendously mauled, and her throat was slashed open, drenching her and the floor in dark red blood. She was gone.</p><p>The gunslinger finished off the last imp, and the path forward to the security station was cleared.</p><p>“This way!” The man called out.</p><p>The remaining two workers did not move. Ruby helped the elderly scientist stand up and half-carried him as the gunslinger assisted the engineer, while Rogers provided cover fire for the group. The last possessed soldiers hid behind cover but they would definitely follow. And Ruby had one clip left.</p><p>Spotting an electric junction panel on a wall near the demons, Ruby loaded a final power shot, brought the EMG to full charge, and fired it. The panel exploded in a flash of light, emitting violent electric arcs that struck out and electrocuted the demons.</p><p>Hoping her trick would buy them some time, Ruby led the team out of the room and hopefully out of danger. If they had another confrontation, none of them would make it out alive.</p><p>SECURITY STATION – ROOM 119</p><p>
  <em>There!</em>
</p><p>As quickly as she could with the languid man on her shoulder, she raced to the door panel and quickly inputted her security code.</p><p>“Credentials accepted. Hello, Agent Taylor.”</p><p>“Hurry up! Get in!”</p><p>She rushed into the room as soon as the door slid open, hurrying the rest of the team in. The gunslinger and the engineer bolted in, followed by Rogers with his rifle at the ready. As soon as the lieutenant was inside, Ruby slammed the wall panel and sealed the door.</p><p>She leaned heavily on the door, panting deeply and trying to catch her breath.</p><p>“Okay...I think we’re safe-”</p><p>She turned to face the team but was interrupted by a sudden kick to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her tumbling back.</p><p>It was the engineer. “Some help you are!” She yelled. “You could have saved that poor lady but you didn’t! You’re going to get us all killed!”</p><p>Ruby calmly picked herself up as she regained composure. The woman was in shock, hysterical and clearly not thinking straight. Ruby wasn’t about to tell her that they had all been armed for a reason, that it was them who had failed to defend themselves, and it was only because of her own skill and quick-thinking that any of them had made it out alive.</p><p>As she stood up the livid engineer continued trying to attack her, but being fully alert now, Ruby calmly and quietly blocked her strikes. Rogers seemed ready to intervene and restrain the engineer but backed off after a reassuring hand wave from Ruby. Meanwhile, the gunslinger was busy browsing the station lockers, and the scientist tiredly watched the engineer’s outburst, grabbing his bloody arm. He’d been hurt.</p><p>“She was just a kid! She had her whole life ahead of her! Why didn’t you help her?! Why?!”</p><p>The woman was tiring herself out, as Ruby hoped, and after a final attempt at a punch she dropped her head and wept quietly.</p><p>Ruby gently sat the woman down on a nearby bench and walked up to the opened lockers. They were all stocked with rifles and munitions, most of them with armor. She guessed security wasn’t expecting an attack when the wave hit, much less at the hospital, but what was the man looking for?</p><p>She grabbed a medikit and walked over to the injured scientist.</p><p>“You still fit for duty, soldier?”</p><p>The elderly man half-chuckled. “I’ve been through worse in my time, Agent Taylor. I’ll be fine.”</p><p>Ruby cracked a heavy smile within her helmet, realizing she didn’t know any of these people’s names, apart from the lieutenant. She didn’t even know the name of that poor girl who’d perished.</p><p>She kept her tone up for her response, however. “I’m sure you will, doctor…?”</p><p>“Ha! Only us science types call each other ‘doctor’. Call me Christopher. Christopher Harrison.”</p><p>“Well then, Christopher, I trust you know how to apply this?” Ruby asked as she handed him the medikit.</p><p>“Working at UAC 101.”</p><p>“At it, then. I expect my people to be fully mission capable.”</p><p>She then addressed Rogers as she checked the station drawers for sedative pills.</p><p>“Lieutenant, start organizing our supplies. Grab some packs and fill them with ammo, medikits, air canisters, energy bars, water, anything you can find. I’ll take care of our firepower.”</p><p>“Yes, sir.”</p><p>Finding a pill canister and a water bottle, she walked over to the shaking engineer and sat down beside her.</p><p>“What’s your name, miss?”</p><p>“…Reeves. Amanda Reeves.”</p><p>“All right, Amanda. I’m going to ask you to take this,” she said while holding out two pills and the bottle. “They’re sedatives. They’ll calm you down and make you feel better.”</p><p>The engineer hesitated before reaching out and grabbing the items, swallowing the pills and taking hearty swigs from the bottle.</p><p>“Take a few minutes and clear your mind. I’m going to go find you a piece of heavy equipment.”</p><p>She lightly patted the woman’s shoulder and walked over to the gunslinger, who was equipping a peculiar set of dark grey armor, not UAC-manufactured. By the ease of which he handled it, it was clearly his own.</p><p>She walked up to him and leaned on the wall beside him, not saying a word.</p><p>After a few moments he spoke. “It wasn’t anything big. Just some worker, had a fight with a partner over on Ganymede. Got hired to take them out and send proof over, they’d wire the rest of the money.”</p><p>He turned to look straight at Ruby. “I wasn’t here for any UAC property or big names.”</p><p>“…At this point, we’re all just concerned with making it out alive.”</p><p>“Mmm. Well, that’s one less check in the mail for me.”</p><p>“…Who are you?”</p><p>“Hiro Romero.”</p><p>Ruby cocked her head. “You don’t look like a Romero.”</p><p>“I can assure you, I don’t look like a ‘Hiro’ either.”</p><p>The two of them quietly laughed before the man lowered his voice.</p><p>“So, what were those things? I’ve been all over this solar system, seen just about everything there is to see, but never once come across that before. Are they chimeras? Aliens? Some type of disease you folks found here?”</p><p>“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”</p><p>“Try me.”</p><p>“…Demons.”</p><p>The man stopped equipping his armor and held a bracer in mid-air.</p><p>“Demons?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“You mean, actual demons.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>After a slight pause, the gunslinger resumed putting his armor on.</p><p>“You don’t believe me.”</p><p>“On the contrary, I do. I suspected as much. Most chimeras cooked up in labs don’t have burning pentagrams etched into their skin or leave corpses hanging from the ceiling by intestines. Least, not any I’ve ever killed.”</p><p>Ruby could tell the man was speaking honestly, if somewhat resigned.</p><p>“That explains why those three didn’t move with that thing right in front of them. Their demonic powers or whatever, right?”</p><p>Ruby shrugged her shoulders, remembering her own malfunctioning implant. She didn’t know how much longer it would last.</p><p>“Some people are more susceptible than others. You wouldn’t happen to have any kind of neural implant?”</p><p>“…Nope. Grafting a robotic arm or a cybernetic eye is one thing. Putting a machine in your brain is another. Never liked the idea.”</p><p>
  <em>Then how’d he resist their psionic effects?</em>
</p><p>The man frowned. “What are you people doing here? On this planet, I mean? If the myths and legends are true, why have demons invaded Mars? Why not Earth? What is the UAC up to?”</p><p>Ruby raised an eyebrow. As an Elite Guard, her job was to protect the research and property of the UAC and the Lazarus Project, not read or divulge them, and she definitely wasn’t going to tell the hitman what she knew. Of the demons or their world.</p><p>“If anybody knows, it’s definitely not me,” she lied while heading back to organize the team’s weapons. “I’m just a soldier. All I get paid to do is shoot.”</p><p>Romero opened another locker beside him. Ruby’s eyes widened when she saw the gun stored inside.</p><p>“You and me both, Agent.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>After bracing himself, the Marine ran for the edge and spectacularly leapt off. He plummeted towards the sea of lava but managed to land on a glowing blue device floating just above the burning surface, what appeared to be a malfunctioning gravity plate. The anti-gravity pad sent the Marine flying upward as quickly as he had fallen, and with a powerful thrust of his jump pack he soared into the air and landed solidly on the opposite platform, a scaffold whose bridge had been destroyed.</p><p>The glowing marker on his HUD faded as he approached the highlighted object, a bulky grey-and-brown device held in the arms of a deceased guard in red armor.</p><p>So, there had been more of those soldiers, like the chaingunner he’d found at the entrance to Res Ops.</p><p>The Marine stooped and pried the object from the corpse’s hands.</p><p>
  <em>He raced down the halls of the Deimos Station, desperately searching for a med pack when he found one of those loathsome arcane teleporters. Low on ammo and options alike, he grit his teeth and stepped into the wretched machine.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And there it was.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Stashed away in the corner of the room was a plasma rifle and a single energy cell. Thanking God for the discovery, he loaded the blinking cartridge into the weapon and with steel nerves set off to find a way off of that cursed moon.</em>
</p><p>The Marine snapped back to the present. The past didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was that this new plasma rifle was clearly more advanced than its twenty-first century predecessor. Thicker with more intricate firing mechanisms, luminous diodes along the muzzle, and clear casings on the barrel’s heat sink. Still, it was remarkably similar in appearance to that ancient design the Marine had once used, and he wondered why the UAC had brought back this archaic look when even he had once wielded more advanced weapons from their arsenal.</p><p>M1 PHASE RIFLE ACQUIRED</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – PLASMA CELLS</p><p>SECONDARY FIRING MODE – HEAT BLAST</p><p>NOTE: HEAT BLAST AUTOMATICALLY CHARGES THROUGH NORMAL USE, BUT CONSECUTIVE BLASTS CAN BE GENERATED BY SPENDING AMMO</p><p>‘Phase Rifle.’ Huh.</p><p>Not one to waste time on semantics, the Marine turned back along the way he came towards the last Gore Nest, which he could see just up ahead.</p><p>He was careful to navigate this bottom level of the Foundry. The scorching air was of no concern to him but the lava would burn through ARMOR and HEALTH alike, and he guessed the crumbling platforms were not up to code.</p><p>A few zombies kneeled around the Gore Nest, which the Marine swiftly beat into bloody pulps to collect munitions and top himself off. 38 ARMOR and 142 HEALTH. Without pause he strode over to the Gore Nest and tore its heart out.</p><p>The wretched construct immediately released a hellish roar and expired, summoning a mob of demons throughout the lower level. But the Marine was already on the move and analyzing the situation.</p><p>Clear open space, ranged fodder demons, limited enemy traversal from the destroyed walkways, and thousand-degree molten metal mere meters away? The best course of action would be to pick off the strongest demons with the HAR and throw the rest over the edge.</p><p>The Marine rushed past a group of shambling zombies and leapt onto the adjacent platform as he switched to the assault rifle. <em>PEW PEW PEW!</em> Two rifle rounds tore through a shotgun soldier’s chest, the final one going between its eyes. <em>PEW PEW PEW PEW!</em> A plasma soldier momentarily reached for its non-existent head. The Marine reached out to grab an imp by the throat and threw it over the railing, only barely hearing the agonized screeches far beneath him.</p><p>A loud explosion behind him turned his attention back around. The Gore Nest had summoned several soldiers with rocket launchers, and the struck platform perilously quivered as its structure cracked. The Marine needed to be careful. Crumbling walkways might drop their occupants into the lava below, but they would also impair his own traversal. He lined up a precision shot. <em>POW!</em> Three demons down. A red laser sight from another launcher locked on him. <em>POW!</em> His bolt struck the rocket just as it exited the barrel, the resulting explosion killing all demons on that platform.</p><p>On a ledge near a lava cascade he spotted a new demon: humanoid with an ashen bony shell, a single glaring eye in its facial plate, and one arm a wicked vortex of claws and hellfire. Hell Razer. Its arm cannon could fire channeled beams of infernal energy, attacks which his Bracer wouldn’t be able to block entirely. The demon raised its arm and focused energy into its cannon, just as the Marine lined up another precision shot. <em>POW!</em> The bolt missed and harmlessly struck the lava fall. The Razer released its energy as a continuous beam that just barely missed the Marine. <em>PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW! </em>The Razer rushed out of the way of the Marine’s shots but was faltered by a stray round. He landed on the platform right in front of the demon.</p><p>With no more room to fire, the creature swung its burning arm at the Marine’s head, who quickly positioned his Bracer to block the attack. The Bracer surged with electrifying power, and the dazed Razer stumbled back following the successful parry. The Marine darted forward, tore the staggered demon’s cannon off, and crushed its skull with its own arm. 43 ARMOR, 147 HEALTH.</p><p>A sudden swell of flame torched the Marine’s back, and he darted out of the way of the attack. 18 ARMOR. He turned around to find a helmeted soldier in black-and-red armor pointing a flamethrower at him. The demon released a powerful blast of heated air from its weapon, catching the Marine by surprise and knocking him off the platform onto the viscous molten metal. His remaining ARMOR plating rapidly melted away and he grimaced as the lava started eating at his HEALTH. He quickly fired up his jump pack and leapt back onto the platform, charging a Blood Punch as he did so.</p><p><em>POWW!</em> The flamer soldier was too far away to be struck by the Blood Punch shockwave, but the platform cracked and tumbled into the molten metal below, the Marine swiftly jetting away before he landed in the lava again.</p><p>He scanned the remaining enemies on the lower level. There were Razers, imps, and assorted soldiers, but the nearest demons were soldiers with clear blue shields.</p><p>The Marine groaned. Those plasma shields would take too many rounds to break and he didn’t want to waste time or resources throwing grenades behind them.</p><p>
  <em>As you Marines all know, there are certain agencies around the world equipped with the latest in body armor technologies, against which conventional firearms are ineffective! Composite, reactive, dynamic, nanotech, whatever the technobabble word of the day is, I don’t give a damn! Our guns can’t get through them! UN…ACCEPTABLE!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Not anymore. Our good folks at the UAC have developed the world’s first mass-production line of military-grade plasma rifles. Fully automatic, they deliver a rapid salvo of plasmoids that will melt whatever damn thing you’re shooting at! They inflict both thermal and impact damage to the target, as well as carry a substantial electromagnetic field. Effective against all tested forms of body armor.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>These plasmoids burst on impact and do have splash damage, so keep your damn distance when firing! And the rifles are known to overheat, so use them in short bursts and don’t forget to cool them off!</em>
</p><p>The plasma rifle. Would it be effective against the soldiers’ plasma shields?</p><p>He switched to the phase rifle and fired off a series of bright blue orbs at one soldier’s shield. Within moments the shield turned red and exploded in a loud burst, killing the shielded soldier and the other three beside it. The Marine breathed deeply in.</p><p>He immediately charged for the last demons with the plasma gun in hand. <em>ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP!</em> Imps and soldiers left and right burst like popcorn and smeared the surfaces in steaming fluids. The diodes along his rifle’s heat sink switched on and shined blue. A rocket soldier locked its laser sight on him. <em>ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP POP!</em> The rocket launcher clanged loudly on the floor. Just as he noticed the rifle’s diodes turn purple, a blue laser from a railgun soldier entered his field of view. <em>ZAP ZAP ZAP POP!</em> The demon’s railgun exploded as its ammo cells shorted out, producing an explosion that electrocuted the soldiers and Razers close to it. The rifle’s diodes turned red as it started emitting crimson vapor. Curious, the Marine aimed the plasma gun at the demons and pressed the heat release. <em>PEWW!</em> The heat wave rippled through the air and blasted the flesh off the monsters’ bones, leaving behind blackened skeletons that crumbled to the floor.</p><p>“Demonic presence reduced to minimum safe levels. Lockdown disengaged.” Announced the facility’s automated voice. Turbine room doors now open.”</p><p>The Marine checked the number under his Calibrator counter: five. Good, he had a Mega Charge in storage and could now fabricate another one. Perfect.</p><p>He carefully leapt across the remaining platforms towards an anti-gravity pad that would take him back to the top level. He jumped onto the device and almost gleefully soared through the air, landing before the gate to the Foundry reactor. The large gate slowly hissed open.</p><p>“Remember…”</p><p>The Marine’s heart sank.</p><p>“The Blind Council is always watching.”</p><p>Even though the gate hadn’t fully opened yet, the Marine leapt through the narrow opening and rushed down the corridor before he had to hear another syllable out of the Spokeswoman’s mouth.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>I stumbled across the foggy metallic environment in my hurry to get away from the sounds behind me. I felt strange, off, and there was a bitter taste in my mouth. I didn’t know where I was or what had happened to me. I just knew I needed to get out of there.</p><p><em>“Wait wait wait, stop,”</em> whispered the Colonel.</p><p>I had already seen the figures and crouched behind a large podium. They were dark, roughly humanoid shapes wearing some strange type of body armor.</p><p>Are those robots? I can’t tell.</p><p>
  <em>“Huh, they’re blocking the passage. Looks like you’ll have to fight your way out. Your combat chassis is rudimentary but it’ll have to do. Let me bring your weapons up-”</em>
</p><p>“Colonel Johnson, do you know my name?”</p><p>
  <em>“What?”</em>
</p><p>“My name. I can’t remember anything, not even my own name. Do you know who I am?”</p><p>
  <em>“Goddamn, they really did a number on you, didn’t they? Your systems are even more scrambled than I thought.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Don’t worry about that! Focus on the task on hand, soldier! Look, you’re equipped with basic missile launchers. You trigger them with neural signals, can fire a short homing volley or a sustained linear barrage. Your chassis has prototype transmutation fabricators, so you should be able to find ammo in most places. Fire them up and blow those bastards to kingdom come!”</em>
</p><p>Missile launchers? Where-?</p><p>At that moment I heard a whirring behind me, and two large barrels came into view beside my head, aiming straight forward. I tentatively grabbed one; it was attached to me.</p><p>“It’s mine,” I muttered a bit too loud.</p><p>One of the figures growled and gazed in my direction, and I knew its glaring eyes were staring right at me. It vocalized to the others beside it and they all turned to look at me.</p><p>
  <em>“SHOOT!”</em>
</p><p>Almost out of reflex, a burst of missiles shot out of my shoulder launchers and blasted the entity to pieces. Only briefly glancing at their fallen companion, the others roared in unison and raised sinister pronged objects at me, items I didn’t recognize but felt confident in guessing what they were.</p><p>I leapt out of cover and unleashed a barrage of rockets. POW POW POW POW! The figures all fell before they had a chance to retaliate.</p><p>
  <em>“Behind you!”</em>
</p><p>I heard footsteps loudly approaching from the direction I’d come from, but I couldn’t see the figures through the fog.</p><p>
  <em>“Homing volleys!”</em>
</p><p>I did as the Colonel suggested and fired off several rounds of homing missiles into the fog, hearing the explosions echo down the chamber and I knew the missiles had hit their marks.</p><p>ZAP!</p><p>“Aaah!”</p><p>Something had struck my shoulder, which seemed to shimmer with a clear blue field.</p><p>
  <em>“The rail above you!”</em>
</p><p>Another one of those figures stood on a walkway above me, pointing a smoking weapon in my direction.</p><p>
  <em>“Dash!”</em>
</p><p>Dash?</p><p>The entity’s weapon shone with a wicked red glow, and I immediately darted out of the way before their next attack struck me. The movement was extremely rapid, and I surmised my jump pack had lateral thrusters as well.</p><p>
  <em>“Jump up to that railing!”</em>
</p><p>I fired up my jets and leapt into the air incredibly fast, landing in front of the dark figure.</p><p>
  <em>“Punch it!”</em>
</p><p>Without stopping to consider the silliness of the command, I lobbed a right hook at the creature and stared as it broke beneath the strength of my blow, its body splitting clean in two.</p><p>I looked at my injured shoulder, which to my surprise was intact. The clear blue field around it faded and soon vanished.</p><p>
  <em>“All right, your overshield is working. It regenerates if left alone but will break after sustained attacks. Once it breaks, you’ll be taking damage directly to your chassis.”</em>
</p><p>Chassis? Overshield? Missile launchers? What had they done to me?</p><p>Low, garbled voices echoed from behind.</p><p>
  <em>“They’re coming back. Take this rail straight ahead to the end of the chamber! It’ll lead you to the exit!”</em>
</p><p>I set off where the Colonel indicated, careful not to make loud noises as I ran across the metal railing.</p><p>
  <em>“Faster! Go faster!”</em>
</p><p>I forced myself to go faster and found that I was sprinting at great speed without growing tired. I wasn’t even exerting myself. Wanting to laugh in exaltation, I raced through a wall opening into the adjacent chamber.</p><p>I didn’t know what had happened to me, but I liked it.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The lieutenant and gunslinger helped the civilians finish fastening their security armor.</p><p>“How does it feel, doc?” Asked Rogers to Harrison.</p><p>“Lighter than I expected.”</p><p>“It’s the force amplification servos in the joints. Basic, but they’ll let you run faster and hit harder without straining yourself or tiring out. Just try to take a few steps. Move slow. Get a feel for it.”</p><p>The elderly scientist tentatively walked around the station, swaying his arms and flexing his back.</p><p>“I just hope I don’t pop a vertebra…Or my entire back.”</p><p>“Well, don’t overexert yourself. These suits aren’t meant to flex beyond a normal person’s range of movement, but in your case you could dial back the force response. What about you, Reeves?”</p><p>“I work with power suits all the time,” grumbled the engineer. “I know how to operate this.”</p><p>“Okay, everyone. Listen up.” Ruby spoke up from a desk loaded with firearms. “I’m going to pass you your weapons.”</p><p>She walked up to Reeves first.</p><p>“Heavy assault rifle. Fifty caliber full-metal jacket rounds, hundred shot magazine, tactical scope for a precision bolt. Keep it steady and controlled bursts only.”</p><p>“Yes, Agent.”</p><p>“And you’re keeping your plasma cutter?”</p><p>“I feel better with it.”</p><p>Ruby dispassionately rolled her eyes but moved on, grabbing a plasma rifle and handing it to the lieutenant.</p><p>“M1 Phase Rifle. Automatic, sixty round clip, electromagnetic plasmoids and weaponized heat release. Cool it often and don’t keep it hot for long.”</p><p>“Yes, sir.”</p><p>“You have a sidearm?”</p><p>“Super shotgun.”</p><p>That weapon was no longer on the approved UAC arsenal, but Ruby knew it was a personal favorite of many security personnel.</p><p>“As you wish.”</p><p>The last weapon she passed out was a combat shotgun to the elderly scientist.</p><p>“You sure you’re okay with just this, Christopher?”</p><p>“Please, I used to shoot ducks at a hundred meters with my daddy’s old shotty. I can handle this just fine.”</p><p>Ruby laughed. “I’m sure you can.”</p><p>“Besides, I’m an old man. My joints aren’t what they used to be. I trust the heavy machinery to you young and spritely soldiers.”</p><p>Ruby casually turned to grab her own weapon. “Stiff joints?”</p><p>“Occasionally. I can’t run like I used to, but I’ve been keeping my arthritis in check.”</p><p>Ruby dropped the clip she was loading, the smile gone from her face.</p><p>“Arthritis?” She asked in a shocked voice.</p><p>The others puzzledly looked at each other, Harrison responding in clear confusion.</p><p>“Y-yes, I have…mild arthritis. Comes with age. I-is that a…problem””</p><p>But Ruby had already turned to Reeves.</p><p>“What health problem do you have?” She asked the engineer.</p><p>Reeves was taken back by the sudden question and answered hesitantly.</p><p>“I have pulmonary fibrosis. From Martian dust.”</p><p>“Agent,” Rogers asked. “What going on-?”</p><p>“Romero, what about you?”</p><p>“Radiation poisoning.”</p><p>Ruby slumped her shoulders.</p><p>“Hiro. The truth.”</p><p>“…Liver cirrhosis. And heart problems.”</p><p>Ruby strode forward and pressed her hands onto the desk, mentally chastising herself.</p><p>
  <em>How could I have been so stupid? They were in the Medical Imaging lobby. Of course they’re gonna have health issues!</em>
</p><p>“Agent,” Harrison timidly asked. “We can still make it, right?”</p><p>She sighed dejectedly. Her neural implant could give out at any moment, neither of the civilians had defenses against the demons’ psychic attacks, and now she learned only two out of the five were in any shape to run across this infested base. The greater their numbers the higher their chances, but the group would only be as fast as its slowest members.</p><p>And who knew if VEGA or Command would have disabled the escape shuttles by the time they got there? Would they have disabled the tram to the Spaceport?</p><p>“We’ll make it,” she spoke up, “if we stick together. I don’t want any heroes, I don’t want anyone rushing off or fighting the enemy on their own. Everyone has guns, everyone uses their guns. We all watch each other’s six and cover each other’s backs, understood?”</p><p>The team replied in agreement.</p><p>“Grab your bags. We’re heading out.”</p><p>The others turned to holster their supply packs and Ruby finished prepping her gun.</p><p>
  <em>Hiro doesn’t have a neural shield and yet he wasn’t affected. Perhaps his own psyche rejects the demons’ influence. But how?</em>
</p><p>“You trained for that weapon, soldier?”</p><p>Speak of the devil.</p><p>The gunslinger stood beside her, pointing to the firearm on the desk in front of her. She grabbed the strap and slung it onto her shoulder.</p><p>“M2 Pulse Rifle. Heavy plasma gun. Semiautomatic, thirty shots per clip, in-built cooling, and charged orb secondary? No, but I’ve always wanted to try one. What about you, cowboy? Got a license for that big iron?”</p><p>The gunslinger patted his sniper rifle.</p><p>“UAC Tactical Division Vortex Rifle. Uses standard-issue plasma cells, twenty shots per clip. Converts plasma into directed beams of zero-field energy that pass through matter, X-Glass scope highlights targets through walls? No, but you need a big iron in the outer frontier. It’s a big lawless world out there.”</p><p>“You have no idea,” Ruby responded as she holstered her own pack. “Everyone ready? Got your supplies, main weapon, and sidearm?”</p><p>“Yes, sir.”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>“Yes, Agent.”</p><p>“Ready as I’ll ever be.”</p><p>“Affirmative. Helmets on. Radios on.”</p><p>As the others put their helmets on, Ruby switched on her radio transmitter and brought her voice down.</p><p>“Everyone copy?”</p><p>“I copy.”</p><p>“Copy that.”</p><p>“Roger.”</p><p>“Loud and clear.”</p><p>“All right,” she whispered. “Follow my lead. Keep your guns ready and watch your backs. Don’t do anything stupid and we’ll make it out alive.</p><p>Stay low and stay quiet.”</p><p>She primed her pulse rifle, which came online a deep and satisfying whir.</p><p>“We’re getting out of here.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The Marine entered the Foundry reactor’s cooling room, a wide empty chamber with two large turbines built into the central area, which loudly spun and vented steam into the air. The entrance to the Argent Facility lay at the far top of the room, accessible through elevated walkways and behind a sealed gate.</p><p>To his surprise the chamber was unusually crowded with demons, which crawled along the walls, the support rails, on the turbines and the ground between them. As soon as he entered the room, every demonic eye turned to glare at him.</p><p><em>“They knew you were coming! They’re trying to stop you from reaching the Argent Facility!”</em> Yelled Hayden.</p><p>Hearing the deafening cacophony of a hundred monsters roaring at him, the Marine gripped his phase rifle and plunged into the horde.</p><p><em>ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP!</em> He swept the plasma gun left and right, killing a multitude of demons with direct hits and another score as the plasmoids burst. The phase rifle heated to full capacity and he depressed the heat release. <em>PEWW!</em> Another dozen down.</p><p>The chamber was incredibly packed though, and despite his constant movement and blocking, the Marine was struck by countless projectiles. A railgun bolt, a heat blast, a fireball, a rocket blast, his ARMOR disappeared and his HEALTH steadily ticked down as his phase rifle went dry. 108 HEALTH. He switched to the assault rifle. <em>PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW!</em> He threw a grenade, then another. <em>POW! POW!</em></p><p>The horde was growing thin and the Marine thought he was almost through before a resounding roar echoed across the chamber. The Marine looked up to see a Hell Knight materialize before the sealed gate, a hulking behemoth of bone and muscle. It leapt into the air and smashed down in front of him, blasting a dozen lesser demons apart with the shock wave. With barbaric claws it swiped at the Marine who raised his Bracer in defense. The Bracer blocked the attack but the Hell Knight resisted the power surge, only faltering and lumbering back. With unbroken determination the monster leapt and brought its fist down onto the ground, producing a fiery wave that knocked the Marine back. His HEALTH, which kept decreasing by the number of remaining attackers, now fell to 82. Infuriated, the Marine switched to his shotgun.</p><p><em>BANG!</em> Punch! <em>BANG!</em> Punch! He fired his shotgun at the Hell Knight’s face, punching it between reloads. After a few shots the grotesquely injured demon stumbled back, and upon charging a Blood Punch the Marine put an end to its miserable life. Without warning, something heavy slammed him to the side as a burning projectile struck his chest. 59 HEALTH. An entire pack of Hell Knights ferociously descended on him, charging with pummeled fists and lobbing fiery orbs from branded hands.</p><p>He had no more plasma ammo but his chainsaw had three batteries, enough to take down one Hell Knight. He brought the buzzing device out and charged at one. The creature swiftly leapt out of the way before he could slash at it, while another clawed at him with its massive hands. 35 HEALTH. The Knight slashed again at the Marine but quick as lightning he parried the blow with his Bracer, staggering the demon with the power surge. Moving fast before the stagger wore off, the Marine sawed off the Hell Knight’s outstretched arm, cut its knee and finally buried the chainsaw in the demon’s open mouth. 300 plasma cells. The Marine equipped his phase rifle once more and unleashed a storm of plasmoids onto the Hell Knights. The charged orbs continually faltered them and forced them back, but the Marine couldn’t fire at all four at the same time. One’s ground slam caught him in its wave, while another struck him with a fiery projectile. 20 HEALTH. He triggered the rifle’s heat blast and eviscerated one Hell Knight. Three to go.</p><p>The Marine threw a grenade at them as he continuously held down the phase rifle’s trigger. The lesser demons’ attacks kept hitting him but that didn’t matter; he had to get rid of these Hell Knights as soon as possible. The monsters stumbled as the grenade blast hit them and the Marine released another heat wave on them, but they remained standing. The nearest one riled back and punched the Marine square in the face. 9 HEALTH. Just as it threw another punch, the Marine raised his Bracer in defense, successfully parrying the blow and staggering the Hell Knight. With his left arm he punched the demon’s head to the side and with his right finally pummeled it off. Two to go. 36 HEALTH.</p><p>His plasma gun was empty once again so he switched to the assault rifle and lined up a precision shot. <em>POW!</em> Missed. <em>POW!</em> Missed. A rocket exploded beside him and his HEALTH dropped to 21. Gritting his teeth, the Marine lined up one more precision shot. <em>POW!</em> The bolt hit and the Hell Knight stumbled back, prompting the Marine switch to his shotgun. <em>BANG! BANG!</em> A Razer unleashed its beam directly unto him. 12 HEALTH. Roiling with Blood Rage, the Marine focused a Blood Punch and pummeled the Hell Knight’s head off. One left.</p><p>Just as he turned to look for the last Knight he felt a final blow strike at his back, dropping him to his knees and onto the ground. 0 HEALTH. The last Hell Knight stood triumphant above him, its skull-like complexion revealing no sympathy or mercy. Before the Marine lost consciousness the Knight threw a punch at him, and another. It raised its clawed foot above his face before bringing it down, and everything went black.</p><p>The Marine opened his eyes outside the blast door to the turbine room and quietly seethed for a moment.</p><p>“Remember, the Blind Council is alwa-”</p><p>The Marine merely grabbed the projector and threw it over the railing, hearing the bothersome voice of the Spokeswoman fade as it plummeted into the lava deep below.</p><p>He was not particularly aggravated by his death, though. This one had been his fault: he’d blindly rushed into the arena without mindfulness and without better equipment. His phase rifle was effective against the crowd of lesser demons, but he needed something bigger for the pack of Hell Knights.</p><p>He brought his automap up. If there were possessed soldiers with rocket launchers and railguns in the Foundry, surely he’d be able to pick up those weapons for himself. With a cursory glance he found what he was looking for: an icon in the shape of a boxed lock. A secret. Memorizing the location, the Marine switched off the automap and leapt over the railing, firing up his jump pack to land on the deck immediately below.</p><p>Hopefully he could find something useful.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Ruby felt far more comfortable leading a group equipped with combat armor and proper weapons. It wouldn’t help much if the two civilians were paralyzed in fear by the demons’ influence, but at least they’d be able to tank a few hits. Perhaps even just carrying adequate equipment would help their metal states and let them resist psionic attacks.</p><p>If only that could calm her own nerves.</p><p>“Roll call,” she whispered into her radio.</p><p>“Rogers.”</p><p>“Romero.”</p><p>“Harrison.”</p><p>“…R-Reeves.”</p><p>“Amanda, you doing all right?”</p><p>“I’m fine. Just…I want to get out of here.”</p><p>“We’re almost there. Keep your eyes peeled and your rifle ready. A few more corners and we’ll reach the exit.”</p><p>“Mind your high corners, soldiers,” Rogers muttered. “These things like to jump down on you.”</p><p>
  <em>Pharmacy. We’re getting close to the Hospital entrance.</em>
</p><p>“The receptionist desk is just around the corner. The exit is right behi-”</p><p>Ruby was cut short by a single imp that slowly crawled into view at the far end of the hall. It strode on all fours and cowered when it saw them, softly hissing in aggression.</p><p>The team immediately stopped. Ruby realized that the imp was not attacking because it recognized that all five of them were well protected and armed. Could it realize that not all five were trained soldiers? Could it smell their fear?</p><p>She heard someone behind her softly whimper, and she thought the imp heard that. It reared back and slowly prepared to roar before Romero lined up his Vortex Rifle and fried the imp’s brains.</p><p>Ruby’s heart skipped a beat before she realized the shot hadn’t raised an alarm. At least not yet. A few puzzled growls grumbled nearby and she heard something move behind a wall. Their time was running out.</p><p>“Move,” Romero urged. “We’ve gotta move.”</p><p>The team hurried on in a quiet sprint.</p><p>Something howled a few rooms down. The team passed the receptionist desk and reached the hospital’s entrance lobby. They rushed through the doorway and entered the junction complex that housed the tram station. A harsh roar echoed behind them, and their sprint turned into a full-blown race.</p><p>“Romero, get Reeves and Harrison to the tram! Fire it up!” Ruby yelled as demons began pouring from the hospital entrance. “Lieutenant, with me!”</p><p>As commanded, the gunslinger led the civilians away from the fight as Ruby and Rogers stayed to fight the horde. Rogers suppressed the mob with a constant stream of plasmoids while Ruby picked them off with each trigger pull. <em>POW POW POW POW POW POW!</em> The pulse rifle was a formidable weapon; slower than the phase rifle but considerably more powerful per shot, with a larger burst radius and greater thermal discharge. Each shot felled a demon and blazed the ones around it, allowing the two to effectively combat the mob as they slowly fell back.</p><p>Ruby felt a chill creep into her mind.</p><p>The crowd was thinning out but each creature emanated malice and corruption, and…the runes. The runes danced across her vision and burned into her retinas, filling her mind with horrors and making precise aim impossible.</p><p>“Let’s go!” She shouted at the lieutenant as she turned and ran to regroup with the others.</p><p>Rogers threw a grenade and followed suit, the explosion loudly resounding moments later.</p><p>With a running leap, Ruby soared over the staircase and landed solidly on the lower level, headed towards the tram station. The lieutenant followed closely behind as did possessed soldiers.</p><p>“Rogers, take them out! I’ve got our twelve!”</p><p>“Copy!”</p><p>Ruby raised her gun as she scanned the environment for enemies, desperately hoping the chaos in her brain would vanish before something else attacked. Within a few seconds she could see the symbols fade away, and as her mental shield returned she spun around and finished off the remaining attackers. <em>POW POW POW POW!</em> An imp leapt from the shadows and pounced at Ruby, its claws reaching for her face, when a beam of light suddenly gleamed across her field of vision, and the demon’s severed body crumbled on the floor.</p><p>“Rogers! Taylor!” Romero called out from behind a parked tram, vortex rifle in hand and the two civilians standing beside him. “This way!”</p><p>“Go, lieutenant!”</p><p>Ruby holstered her rifle and ran at full speed as Romero and the others fired at targets behind her and Rogers, and she hoped their shots were accurate. Something howled close to Ruby’s side, and with immaculate precision Harrison aimed his shotgun and fired, the creature merely splashing Ruby with its blood.</p><p>Once the team regrouped, Reeves and Harrison hurried into the open tram before the demons closed in. Romero ran to the control terminal to set the coordinates with Rogers close behind. Ruby had just placed a foot in the tram when something slammed into her, dropping her to the ground.</p><p>“Agent!” Reeves yelled.</p><p>A pitch-black imp pinned Ruby to the ground, black teeth snapping at her and burning claws inches from her helmet. It was stronger and heavier than its smaller counterparts, and despite her efforts she could not throw the creature off, only stopping its arms from slashing at her face.</p><p>
  <em>What? Why? What’s happeni-?</em>
</p><p>The creature’s eyes bore into her soul.</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p>Its claws dripped with the blood of a thousand humans killed by its hand.</p><p>
  <em>Please, no.</em>
</p><p>By her hand.</p><p>
  <em>Stop.</em>
</p><p><em>“I know what lurks in you, human.”</em> Its words echoed in her mind, cold and sharp as glass. <em>“I know what you try to bury deep inside, what haunts your dreams at night. Fear. Doubt. Remorse. You regret the lives you led to their end. You doubt the rectitude of your actions. You fear…for your soul.”</em></p><p>
  <em>That’s not true.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You can lie to your superiors. You can lie to these people. But you cannot lie to yourself.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You are a monster. You are no worse than the likes of us. Let me…help you.”</em>
</p><p>The demon’s mouth opened, and Ruby saw the depths of Hell yawning between its jaws-</p><p>
  <em>PEW!</em>
</p><p>Ruby’s mind silenced, and the headless creature lifelessly tumbled off of her. Reeves leaned out of the tram holding a smoking plasma cutter. She had saved Ruby’s life.</p><p>“Agent!” Rogers yelled beside her. “Let’s go!”</p><p>Ruby hurried to her feet and stumbled into the tram. The door closed behind her and the pursuing demons slammed into the tram. A clawed hand broke through the glass and slashed at them. Harrison screamed.</p><p>“Hold on!”  Romero yelled from the control terminal. He slammed a switch and the tram immediately lurched to life, knocking the group to the ground as it accelerated at a ludicrous rate. The imp hung for its life as the tram sped away, screeching at its occupants as it attempted to holster itself in.</p><p>The tramline barriers were down.</p><p>“AAAAAHHHHHH!”</p><p>“AAAGGGHHHHH!”</p><p>Even the demon screeched as the vehicle raced towards the barricade at lightning speed before crashing through the barrier. The monster’s severed arm briefly twitched in the tram interior as Ruby breathed out, and the team eased themselves as the tram stopped accelerating.</p><p>With pained grunts the group picked themselves up.</p><p>“Everyone okay?” Asked Rogers. “Romero? Harrison, Reeves, Taylor?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Ruby replied. “You?”</p><p>Rogers panted heavily and Ruby’s blood roared in her ears, but from the front they could hear…laughing.</p><p>Romero heartily chuckled as he hoisted himself off the floor, grabbing his vortex rifle for support. The lieutenant sighed in exhaustion but himself chuckled, with Harrison soon following. Ruby allowed herself a smile as she picked herself up.</p><p>She turned towards Reeves, who has calibrating her cutter. She couldn’t see the engineer’s expression through her helmet, but Ruby noticed she’d remained quiet.</p><p>“Amanda,” Ruby called out to Reeves, who turned away from her tool to face Taylor. “Thank you.”</p><p>The engineer said nothing, but simply nodded her head and returned to her cutter.</p><p>“Agent,” Romero called out. “You need to see this.”</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“The tram has power, but for some reason I can’t set the coordinates to the Spaceport. The system won’t allow me.”</p><p>“Let me see.”</p><p>Ruby studied the terminal. Sure enough, the node ending at the Spaceport was blocked, the system automatically rerouting them to the nearest available station. She inputted her security code. Nothing.</p><p>“What’s going on?” Rogers pressed.</p><p>“Looks like we’re taking a detour.”</p><p>“Can’t you bypass it?”</p><p>“It’s not letting me. The node itself is locked.”</p><p>“You said Command was urging everyone head to the Spaceport for evac.”</p><p>No one said anything. The civilians stared from the back of the tram while Rogers waited for a response.</p><p>Ruby walked away.</p><p>“Our systems have been compromised. Like I said, we can’t count on anyone for help, not even Command. If we’re getting out of this alive, we have to trust one another. Understood?”</p><p>“…Understood.”</p><p>She turned to the group at large.</p><p>“Everyone, get some rest. Grab a bite, drink some water. Reload your guns. As soon as this tram lands, we’re moving out.”</p><p>“Copy that,” Romero sighed as he took his helmet off. Reeves and Harrison followed and unslung their packs. Rogers followed Ruby to the back of the tram.</p><p>“Agent,” he muttered softly. “Back there, when that demon attacked, what happened?”</p><p>“Get some rest, lieutenant.”</p><p>“But I-”</p><p>“Drop it. Eat something and sleep. That’s an order.”</p><p>Rogers stared for a moment.</p><p>“Yes, sir.”</p><p>Rogers strode off and Ruby leaned on the tram’s back window, staring at the barren Martian landscape visible through the transparent tram tube.</p><p>Her neural shield was failing, her doubts were accumulating, and the team was beginning to suspect. Command had already shut down transport to the Spaceport, who knew if the entire system would be taken offline before they arrived?</p><p>Their luck was running out, as was hers.</p><p>Next stop: Excavation Mine Seven.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Four…seven…five…one.</p><p>Upon deciphering the passcode, the locked gate to the security room slid open and the digit under the Marine’s Calibrator counter ticked up to a six.</p><p>Stepping inside, his gaze immediately fell on the long green rocket launcher lying on a computer terminal. He picked it up, reading the words “Big Ass Rocket Launcher” written on the side of the barrel. No doubt about it: the more things change, the more they stay the same.</p><p>E-1 ROCKET LAUNCHER ACQUIRED</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – ROCKETS</p><p>SECONDARY FIRING MODE – REMOTE DETONATION</p><p>NOTE: ROCKETS ARE ARGENT-BASED; POSE RISK OF SELF-DAMAGE IF SHOT AT CLOSE RANGE</p><p>The Marine spotted a case of rocket ammo beside the terminal. He amusingly picked one up. It was a tiny thing, comically held between his thumb and index finger, like the ones the rocket soldiers fired.</p><p>Putting the launcher away and storing the remaining rockets, the Marine scanned the room for other useful supplies. A pack of three electric batteries, those would refuel his chainsaw. A rack of shotgun shells, a blinking plasma cell pack, some grenades and mines, and a small circular device.</p><p>NEW BOOST SYNTHESIZED – PERSONAL TELEPORTER</p><p>TRIGGER TO SET BEACON AT CURRENT POSITION; TRIGGER AGAIN TO INSTANTLY TELEPORT TO BEACON</p><p>BEACON IS INDESTRUCTIBLE AND HAS INFINITE RANGE BUT EXPIRES AFTER SINGLE USE</p><p>FABRICATION COST – 2 CALIBRATION CYCLES</p><p>A personal teleporter! That would certainly come in handy.</p><p>Having taken all the supplies he could find, the Marine headed back for the turbine room, formulating a plan of action as he did so. He knew the last chamber was filled to the brim with lesser demons, and there were five Hell Knights guarding the exit. He had 300 plasma cells, three chainsaw batteries, and ten rockets. He’d thin the crowd with the phase rifle, get rid of one Hell Knight with the chainsaw to fill up on rockets, and finish the last four with those. The horde was thick in the turbine room, increasing the danger of self-damage with the rockets, so the Marine had to be careful. There were too many demons to make defense or self-preservation a viable tactic, so swift extermination was top priority. He decided to equip one Mega Charge. He brought up his Dossier and activated the boost. With a satisfying clang, his HEALTH and ARMOR instantly rocketed to 200 each. He could now tank 400, well, 399 units of damage. Cocked, locked, and loaded.</p><p>He stepped onto the anti-gravity pad and soared through the air, landing in front of the turbine gate. Those gravity pads never got old. And the Spokeswoman wasn’t there to pesteringly chirp at him; he just might make this run, after all.</p><p>The gate hissed open and the Marine rushed through. He switched to the phase rifle and opened fire when he spotted the first imp in the turbine room. <em>ZAP ZAP ZAP POP! </em>Once more he charged at the demonic horde, which once again unleashed a storm of burning projectiles as soon as he came into view, but this time he was ready. <em>ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP POW! ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP POW! </em>Fire plasmoids, build up heat, release. Fire plasmoids, build up heat, release. Rinse and repeat. Railgun bolts and fireballs and rifle rounds struck him, but the mob fell faster than they ate away at his ARMOR. He threw a grenade. <em>POW!</em> Another grenade. <em>POW!</em> He fired up his jump pack and leapt into the air as he charged a Blood Punch. <em>POWW!</em> A dozen demons fell under the shockwave. 47 ARMOR.</p><p>Five swells of scarlet flame manifested on the upper platform, but by the time the Hell Knights warped in the Marine was already aiming the rocket launcher.</p><p><em>BOOM!</em> The lead Knight took the rocket straight in the chest, blasting the skin and flesh off its ribcage, but was still standing. The Marine shot another rocket as the Hell Knights leapt down, but he manually detonated the rocket and caught three of them in its blast even as they dropped and the others slammed the ground. 0 ARMOR, 200 HEALTH.</p><p>The Marine cared not and kept firing rocket after rocket, constantly on the move and darting around nearby stragglers so he wouldn’t shoot them by accident.</p><p><em>BOOM! BOOM!</em> First Knight down, four to go. 173 HEALTH. His rockets were running low, so with careful aim he threw a mine at a Hell Knight and equipped his chainsaw. The mine stuck and exploded, faltering the demon and letting the Marine safely close in for the kill. Cut off both legs, saw the monster’s face in half. With that the chainsaw was empty but the Marine recovered a bountiful surplus of ammo, including fifty rockets. He spotted a Hell Knight charging in his peripheral vision. He spun and raised his Bracer in defense but missed, and the shockwave knocked him back. 127 HEALTH. With the Hell Knight at such close range, the Marine switched to the phase rifle. <em>ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP POW!</em> Each orb shocked the demon and struck a bit of flesh off its body, the heat blast exposing parts of its skeleton. The Marine quickly punched the demon’s face and knocked it back, equipping his rocket launcher. <em>BOOM!</em> Three to go. 96 HEALTH.</p><p>The next Hell Knight threw thundering fireballs at the Marine, which he swerved around to dodge. One of them struck a chainsaw zombie, which dropped a single electric battery as the fireball immolated its body. He quickly siphoned the battery and launched a rocket at the monster. Faltered by the explosion, the Marine charged with chainsaw in hand and sawed off one of the Knight’s arms. The Knight roared as it grabbed its amputated limb but quickly turned back onto the Marine, throwing fireballs at a slower rate with its one remaining arm. The Marine jumped back and grabbed the rocket launcher. <em>BOOM! BOOM!</em> Down. Two to go. 64 HEALTH.</p><p>The surrounding crowd had grown sufficiently thin to allow freer movement, and the Marine put distance between himself and one of the Hell Knights that unrelentingly swiped at him with its massive paws, which also made aiming with the launcher more difficult. He fired a rocket, and another, and even though both missed he managed to catch the demon in both their blasts with remote detonations. Something clanged as he backed into a wall, and he turned to find an explosive barrel rolling on the floor at his feet. He swiftly grabbed the barrel by the rim and threw it at the demon. <em>BOOM!</em> The Knight and five soldiers practically evaporated, their blood blending together and painting the floor a bright red. One to go. 44 HEALTH.</p><p>The final Hell Knight stood at the far end of the chamber, staring at him with pure malice even through its dark eye sockets, but unmoving and unattacking. The Marine recognized it: it was the one who had killed him.</p><p>He charged and fired rocket after rocket. <em>BOOM! BOOM!</em> The Hell Knight dodged the rockets and their blasts but besides that didn’t attack or change positions. It was stronger, faster. The dark powers of Hell had rewarded it for slaying the Marine. He kept running, his HEALTH steadily ticking down. 36. 29. <em>BOOM! BOOM!</em> He was halfway across the chamber. At closer range, his aim fared better and his remote detonations struck the Hell Knight. <em>BOOM! BOOM!</em> The explosions blasted off the monster’s flesh and it stumbled in pain but held its position. 22. 16. Just one more hit. With roaring Blood Rage the Marine leapt into the air and pressed the trigger. The rocket shot out of the barrel and –</p><p>A dark imp pounced at the Marine at point-blank range.</p><p>- <em>BOOM!</em></p><p> </p><p>The Marine awoke in front of the gate to the turbine room.</p><p>No.</p><p>He was back where he’d started. He had died. His effort, his ammo, his Mega Charge…all for nothing.</p><p>No…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>…he stumbled through the gate of Argent D’Nur…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…found the planet devastated, its castles broken and its temples shattered…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…his Night Sentinel brothers dead, slain by the legions of Hell…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…he dropped to his knees. Argent D’Nur had fallen, all because of him…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…because he failed…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Something broke within the Marine’s mind, a dam holding back a flaming sea of endless rage. With it, his mind was flooded with an infinite urge to pummel, to break, to destroy.</p><p>Every rational thought silenced beneath a maelstrom of violence, the Marine charged at the gate, effortlessly blasting through a full meter of reinforced metal as if it were paper. Unabated, he raced down the hall at extraordinary speed, the floor cracking and splitting with every step. He entered the chamber one last time, finding it full of wretched vermin, but he didn’t care.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <em>They are rage, brutal, without mercy.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But you…you will be worse.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Rip and tear.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Until it is done.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Leaping into the air while focusing a Blood Punch, the Marine landed on top of the demonic crowd. <em>POWW!</em> A dozen demons exploded in a shower of blood and guts. He released another Blood Punch. And another. Entire swathes of the horde fell with every blow of his fist.</p><p>This only made him angrier.</p><p>He needed to feel their bones break. He needed to feel their bodies crumble beneath his fists, but the lightest touch blasted them to pieces.</p><p>Boiling with rage, he rushed through the horde desperately reaching for something to pummel. Imps, soldiers, and zombies breaking as he charged at blazing speed at them.</p><p>The Marine Rampaged across the turbine room, cleaving through the horde of demons like a swift burning knife through tender flesh, crashing into walls in his blind rage to break, to kill, to destroy. His incessant Blood Punches and equipped rune provided a constant supply of HEALTH and ARMOR, sustaining him with every blow and strike.</p><p>Five swells of flame manifested on the upper platform.</p><p>His fury surged past what his being could contain, and the Marine’s very body erupted in a blinding surge of ardent power. Like a lightning bolt from a clear sky, the Marine blazed with roiling red flames that spread across his entire self.</p><p>He was no longer just enraged.</p><p>He was Berserk.</p><p>Without even firing his jump pack, the Marine leapt from the floor of the chamber to the topmost platform in a single mighty bound. He grabbed the head of the first Hell Knight and instantly smashed it on the wall. Without pausing, he made a fist and struck the ground between the remaining Hell Knights, blasting them all off the platform. In his scorching rage, the Blood Punch was immediately released without the need to focus.</p><p>Spinning around, the Marine rushed for the nearest falling Hell Knight and grabbed it as they fell, crushing its skull against the floor when they landed. Mindlessly tearing through the crowd to reach the next, he tore its arm off and bashed its head off with the wet end. He soared over the crowd and dropkicked another Knight, digging his hands into its ribcage and tearing it open. He made a fist and with a single Blood Punch vaporized its exposed organs. The Marine looked around for the last Hell Knight. It was running away from him through the horde, desperately fleeing for the exit.</p><p>The one who had killed him. Twice.</p><p>It was actually fleeing for its life.</p><p>The Marine Rampaged through the crowd in the Knight’s direction. He didn’t attack or strike any of the demons that crossed his path; the sheer force of impact tore their bodies apart. He only made a fist, his hand blazing with crimson energy, and the Hell Knight briefly glanced back in pure terror before viscerally exploding with the force of the blow.</p><p>Having slain all the Hell Knights, the Marine’s skin crackled with scarlet lightning. He recoiled in furious agony before releasing all his energy in a tremendous explosion, blasting all remaining demons in the chamber into a fine red mist.</p><p>“Demonic presence eliminated. Lockdown disengaged.”</p><p>Having exhausted his rage, the Marine panted in the middle of an empty bloodsmeared room, taking a moment to catch his breath.</p><p>He looked down at his hands, vigorously clenching his fists and flexing his arms. He felt…better.  Much better than he expected. The battle had invigorated him and returned a great deal of his strength.</p><p><em>“If you’re quite done,”</em> Hayden pressed indignantly, <em>“there is an Argent Tower to be disabled. The beam of Argent Energy will tear the Fracture wide open if it isn’t shut down within the next fifteen minutes!”</em></p><p>
  <em>&lt;I’m reading vastly improved vitals and energy levels from the Marine, Doctor Hayden. He has reached thirty-one percent full operational capacity. His body and mind are functioning at immensely elevated degrees.&gt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Is that so? Hmm.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Well, we are detecting thicker enemy forces in the direction of the Argent Tower. There are signatures of higher demon classes, along with new signatures we do not recognize. You will need all the strength you can muster.”</em>
</p><p>But the Marine wasn’t listerning to Hayden.</p><p>He was listening to the electronic tones emanating from the Praetor Suit, low acoustic waveforms and deep bass rhythms that synergized, collided, and flowed around each other.</p><p>The Harmonic Resonators were back online.</p><p>He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the pulses beat throughout his body and into his head.</p><p>His mind was clear…so clear now.</p><p>He could see the demons throughout the Mars Base, visualizing their shapes in his mind. Squealing beasts, howling figures, screeching remnants…</p><p>In the distance loomed the Argent Tower, a resplendent monument to the UAC’s hubris and their shameless meddling with forces they did not understand. The silver platter on which they offered their souls in exchange for power and an insult to the sacrifice of the Night Sentinels.</p><p>Time and space lay bare before his gaze; worldlines twisting and bending, in perpetual flux and change, but one constant endured.</p><p>Him.</p><p>He would charge into the heart of Hell’s legions and strike them down at the core.</p><p>He would rip. He would tear. Until it was done.</p><p>He would decimate the Argent Tower and scatter its profane remains unto the red soil of this cursed planet.</p><p>And he would avenge the fall of Argent D’Nur.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>I stood awestruck before the sights of the final chamber, full of wonder and terror.</p><p>Suspended on the walls were countless instruments of strange shapes and inscrutable purposes, but just seeing their twisted forms filled my mind with dread. Some were engraved with arcane glowing symbols, others were unfathomably detailed sculpted constructs, and others yet were gnarled forms of pitch-black darkness. Deep in my heart I knew what these objects were.</p><p>Weapons.</p><p><em>“You feel their power, don’t you?”</em> The Colonel whispered. <em>“You’re wise to keep your distance. Death is not the worst thing that can be inflicted by these tools.”</em></p><p>I need to get out of here.</p><p>Something sounded through the wall behind me. They were coming back.</p><p>
  <em>“The exit is just up ahead! Get to the gate!”</em>
</p><p>On the wall at the far end of the chamber was a circular structure that I supposed was the gate. I ran towards it and put my hand on a glowing panel.</p><p>
  <em>“Shit, your chassis doesn’t have the security code! This exit is the quickest way out of here!”</em>
</p><p>Low garbles and footsteps echoed down the chamber. They’d found me.</p><p>
  <em>“Damn it, no time for that now! Shoot!”</em>
</p><p>I raced away from the gate and launched a barrage of missiles at my attackers. They fired bright green and blue projectiles at me, which exploded against or melted through the metal floors. Lacking any cover I did my best to dodge and run past these but I got hit by several blasts. My overshield activated and turned from blue to purple. I ran up to one of the figures and shot him point-blank but winced as my missiles exploded in my own face.</p><p>
  <em>“You moron! Your missiles have splash damage! Don’t shoot them at close range, you stupid idiot!”</em>
</p><p>“Thank you, Colonel Johnson!”</p><p>I raised my fists and threw a right hook at the entity, then a left. Right, left, and its head cracked like an egg, smearing its contents onto the wall. It felt oddly gratifying to feel the creature break beneath my fists.</p><p>One of the dark figures vocalized, and all of a sudden a different creature pounced from behind. Low and fast, it darted around the figure and leapt at me, pinning me to the floor. Vice-like jaws clamped around my head as I struggled to throw it off. My overshield turned red. I punched its face and managed to push it off as I rushed to my feet. I punched it again but my fists landed on solid armor, too hard to effectively fight by hand alone. I tried shooting at the creature with a missile barrage, but it darted and swerved around my projectiles.</p><p>
  <em>“That armor is too hard for you to shoot through it! You need to find a better solution!”</em>
</p><p>I leapt into the air with my jump pack in an effort to avoid the creature and the remaining figures, dashing out of the way of their projectiles and for something, anything at all that I could use, when I found it. It was a small bronze dagger, hanging from one of the fallen entities, but somehow I knew that’s what I needed.</p><p>I rushed towards the dagger and tore it from the body. Subconsciously pressing a button on the hilt, the dagger morphed from a short blade into a long bronze spear as tall as me. I grabbed it with both hands and plunged it into the open mouth of the low dark creature, hearing it roar in agony before pulling the spear back out. The creature slumped lifelessly to the floor and I turned to the remaining figures.</p><p>Simultaneously using the spear and my missile launchers, I descended upon the figures in a blur of fire and blade. Dig the spear into one’s knee, shoot it to pieces. Plunge it into another’s belly, throw it at the entity behind me and blast them both.</p><p>The last figure stood far back and shot bolt after blue bolt in my direction. I dodged its attacks with quick bursts of my jump pack, raising the spear before slicing its arm off, cutting it down at the knees, and finally putting my spear through its eyes. At least, where I hoped its eyes were.</p><p>The spear tip slid out with a satisfying sling, and the body dropped to the ground. That was the last one. I looked at my body; the red shield surrounding it turned purple, then blue, and finally faded away.</p><p>This spear, I like it.</p><p>Pressing the switch once more, the spear turned back into to an innocuous bronze dagger. It didn’t seem I had anywhere to put it though, unless…There was some sort of fastener on my waist, presumably part of my chassis. Would it fit there? I placed the dagger into the slot. Perfectly secure.</p><p>
  <em>“Hurry, grab one of these thing’s hands and place it on the panel.”</em>
</p><p>I stepped on the nearest body’s elbow and effortlessly tore its forearm off, placing it on the wall panel and standing back. At once, the gate came to life in a surge of light and vapor as inscribed symbols burned on its surface, and a portal opened between the circular structure.</p><p>I hesitantly stepped forward in horror.</p><p>Before me was an abstract, roiling wasteland of pure chaos. Mountains crumbled and burst through the ground in a matter of moments, seas of turbulent glass evaporated and fell again as burning rain. Colossal shapes darted furtively between the thundering clouds, too fast and terrible to behold. The land bled into the sky and the sky fell unto the land.</p><p>But most of all, <em>the darkness. </em>The world was blacker than the darkest night, the darkness feeling as if stabbing my eyes and seeping into my being, rendering my very bones black. How I was able to see through such piercing darkness was something I could not comprehend. Just standing there felt like I was being made unwhole, my very atoms turning to dust or rotting in corruption.</p><p>Hell.</p><p>I was in Hell.</p><p>All this time, I had no idea. This place, this ship, made no impression-</p><p>I’M ON A SHIP?!</p><p>Sure enough, I looked down to find a great emptiness yawning at my feet. The ship or craft on which I stood soared over a great grey fog that spread across the landscape. Looking up, I could find no thrusters or jets on the rear side of the ship. It floated across this nightmarish world without any visible propulsion.</p><p>
  <em>“This is it, soldier. This is your way out.”</em>
</p><p>“Colonel Johnson, I don’t think I can-”</p><p>
  <em>“You’re still alive, aren’t you? You’re still conscious. I got you this far, and I never leave my men behind.”</em>
</p><p>I stood motionlessly a few more moments before quietly reaching into my jump pack and pulling out the photograph. Me, my wife, my son. They were out there somewhere waiting for me. And I was still alive. If there was a chance I could make it out of here, I would absolutely take it. As long as I breathed, I would find my way back to them, come Hell or high water. Literally.</p><p>“John Doe.”</p><p>
  <em>“What?”</em>
</p><p>“When a body appears that isn’t identified, that what you call them, right? I’m not dead yet, but until I remember my name and who I am, that’s what I’m calling myself. At least so I have something to hold on to. John Doe.”</p><p>For several seconds the Colonel said nothing. Then he laughed.</p><p>
  <em>“Whatever you say, John.”</em>
</p><p>I hid the photograph once more and steeled myself as I prepared to jump.</p><p>
  <em>Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.</em>
</p><p>Not today.</p><p>Blood rushing and heart pounding, I ran up to the edge and threw myself into that damned inferno.</p><p>*          *          *</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Extreme Prejudice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>“Despite the destructive effect that Hell’s metaphysics have on ordinary matter and information, the UAC has found and studied the ruins of several mortal civilizations consumed by the Infernal Realm. Some are terrestrial and human (familiar or not) while others are extraterrestrial and literally alien, but the most enigmatic is that of the people of Argent D’Nur, the race of the Argenta. Argent D’Nur was an extraterrestrial kingdom that flourished at an inconclusive point in the past; their remarkably well-preserved relics and remains have been found on planetary bodies clearly native to our universe which were absorbed into Hell. What’s most astonishing – or terrifying – is that the Argenta were undeniably human. A monoculture with little genetic diversity, but normal members of the </em>Homo Sapiens<em> species, bearing striking resemblance to Earth humans of European descent. Indeed, Argent D’Nur is unusually similar to historical European societies of the High Middle Ages. Their most elite warriors, the Night Sentinels, were virtually identical to the famed Knights Templar. Despite their austere civilization, the Argenta were anything but primitive, having developed spaceflight, plasma-powered weaponry, even interdimensional drives, all thanks to a native mastery of sorcery. No evidence of Argenta presence in our Solar System exists, and despite their extensive historical records no conclusive origin to their civilization can be found. The very existence of Argent D’Nur is both one of great intrigue and great concern.”</em></p><p>- UAC Report File ‘Argent D’Nur’ 1/2; dated 2104</p><p> </p><p>The Marine sprinted past corpses lying in the service corridor leading out of the Foundry as he headed for the Argent Facility. Environmental suits hanging on the walls swayed softly with the air pumping through the atmospheric cyclers.</p><p>“Untethered crossdimensional activity is a frequent occurrence outside of the Base, so it is recommended that workers buddy up when journeying onto the Martian surface,” pestered the holographic Spokeswoman.</p><p>‘Untethered crossdimensional activity.’ Yeah, such phenomena tended to happen near interdimensional rifts that were intentionally, and foolishly, kept open.</p><p>But that wasn’t important. With his Suit’s Resonators back online, he allowed the modulating tones to focus his thoughts and quiet his mind. He moved in sync with the beat, allowing himself to walk along a stable rhythm.</p><p>He entered the airlock that led to the surface and waited as the atmosphere cycled and the gravity field decreased.</p><p>The airlock opened onto the surface, which was shrouded beneath the haze of a Martian sandstorm. The atmosphere was far too thin for the winds to blow with any semblance of force, but they were picking up a thick veil of brown Martian dust, which reduced the Marine’s visibility to almost nothing.</p><p>He sighed and looked at his environment. Above him he could make out the blue glow of an automated hovercraft’s engines as it zoomed off into the hazy distance. Green light poles marked a path to the Marine’s left, presumably towards the proper Facility. And looming overhead roughly a kilometer away was the blazing Argent Tower, the scarlet beam soaring into the Martian sky and focusing into a-</p><p>The Marine recoiled as his eyes burned. The image of the pure Argent beam had suddenly seared into his vision and left his eyes stinging. Flashing after-images of red, black, and white danced across his mind. That wasn’t supposed to happen.</p><p>As soon as it came the pain vanished, and the Marine stood in wonder as his once murky visual field of brown and orange was replaced by a sharp and netherly one. The surrounding landscape and structures appeared as monochromatic but crystalline reflections of themselves, clearly visible through the storm. Made all the more remarkable by the fact that the Marine still had his eyes closed.</p><p>His Clearsight was back. That was most fortunate.</p><p>The Marine opened his eyes, losing visibility again in the murky haze of dust and dirt. He closed them and focused, and as the droning of the storm faded the shadowy image of the environment appeared once more. He could not see his HUD, as that was projected directly onto his helmet’s visor, and Clearsight lacked the range and acuity of the Marine’s normal vision, but that didn’t matter.</p><p>He stood on a cargo loading dock beneath a pair of buildings on the edge of a deep ravine. The Argent Tower blazed brightly in the distance, the beam focusing into a roiling vortex that swirled overhead. The vortex was already crackling with arcane energy, and considering the storm of dry Martian dust, it probably wouldn’t be long before lightning started striking.</p><p>“<em>The Argent Facility contains two energy induction filters that must be disengaged, along with a primary processor we have to shut down. If we don’t cut power off to the Argent Tower within the next fourteen minutes, the energy overload will rip the Fracture wide open.”</em></p><p>The two HUD markers appeared on his left, in the direction that the green light poles guided along a narrow passageway to a low installation. A fleeting red shape darted into the open airlock and vanished.</p><p>Green means go.</p><p>The Marine leapt over the gap and hurried towards the Facility. His Clearsight marked a curious object lying on the floor beside the Facility entrance.</p><p>Fourteen minutes was more than enough time, he thought as he picked the item up.</p><p>It was a mining tool. Clearly not a weapon but rather an industrial implement. The Marine could sense willful intent imprinted on the tool; fear, anguish, desperation. Crackling flashes cast shadows from twisted monstrosities whose roars echoed across the hostile caverns, limbs and heads flying off to roll away into dark recesses. The tool’s previous user had survived the initial Lazarus blast, and they’d put up one hell of a fight.</p><p>The Marine switched to normal vision to read the message on his HUD.</p><p>211-V PLASMA CUTTER ACQUIRED</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – PLASMA CELLS</p><p>PRIMARY FIRE – SEMIAUTOMATIC SHOT, CHARGE TO BOOST POWER</p><p>SECONDARY FIRE – ROTATE CUTTING PLANE BETWEEN HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL</p><p>There had been survivors, thought the Marine. He’d expected all the people to have died from exposure to the Lazarus Wave or reanimated as Possessed, but at least one of them survived. Who knows? Maybe they just got lucky. Or unlucky.</p><p>He wondered how many had survived the initial attack. He wondered how many of these could survive the demonic infestation and evacuate the planet.</p><p>But most importantly, he wondered as he passed through the gate into the Argent Facility, what would Hayden and the computer do about them?</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>I fell through a smothering fog that felt so thick as if crushing me. Dreadful figures rushed by and snapped at me, but I fell out of the fog and landed on a hard surface.</p><p>The ground was pitch-black but mottled with abstract ember patterns that beat and spread across its surface. Warm fluid splashed at my feet, and I was glad it was too dark to see what I was standing in.</p><p>Indeed, I could scarcely see a thing. Tall spine-like structures punctured through the ground at short intervals, casting me in their shadow. It almost looked like a forest. A wretched wind swept harshly above the spikes, but down at my level this was reduced to a rank miasma that stung my arms and legs. I wondered if the only reason I wasn’t suffocating was because of my upgrades.</p><p>A bolt of lightning speared across the wicked sky, and I covered my ears as the peal of thunder shook the world and felt as if splitting my head open, grimacing as my eyes stung with the blinding flash.</p><p>‘Hellish’ was the only word that came to mind.</p><p>“Colonel, where am I?”</p><p>“<em>A long way from home, soldier. I’m tracking you now, but I can’t find any portals near your position.”</em></p><p>A new sound rolled across that hellscape; a low mournful bale that sent shivers down my spine. Hushed chittering echoed from deeper within that forest, and I thought I could see distant eyes glint within that darkness. I wasn’t alone.</p><p>“<em>Go. Find shelter, see if you find a way out, and stay moving. Hell devours the indolent.”</em></p><p>I took my bronze dagger firmly in my hand and rushed away from those sounds and into the forest.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The tram decelerated as it approached Excavation Mine Seven’s station, and Ruby addressed the team as they grabbed their packs and weapons.</p><p>“All right, here’s the plan. This mine will have a control facility located somewhere in it. If we reach it, we can find alternate transport to the Spaceport, so the goal is to get there as quickly and quietly as possible.</p><p>Most of the mine is outdoors with a lot of active machinery, so sound transmission won’t be an issue but line of sight will. This place is mostly automated, so I don’t expect high enemy concentration, but stay alert regardless.”</p><p>The lieutenant interjected.</p><p>“What’s our plan of action if we are attacked?”</p><p>“Shoot anything that jumps at you, but our priority is to avoid encounters to begin with. We’re jumping into enemy territory here; we have nowhere to fall back to, so reaching the control facility is critical. And watch your heads. We have armor and med packs, but splattered brains can’t be fixed, and you don’t want to rupture your helmets, right?”</p><p>“Yes, Agent.”</p><p>“Reeves, do you know your way around this mine?”</p><p>“Of course I do.”</p><p>“Copy that. You’re up front with me. Find us a route that keeps us as much out of sight as possible. Service corridors, ventilation ducts, anything to avoid surveillance or setting off alarms.</p><p>Hiro, I want you on that X-Glass 24/7. Monitor all enemy movement in our vicinity. Anything gets within a hundred meters, you let me know.”</p><p>“Gotcha.”</p><p>The tram stopped at the station, and with a soft <em>ding </em>the doors slid open. The station was empty.</p><p>“…Deep breaths. Stay cool. Remember, we’re a team. The only way we make it out is together.”</p><p>Ruby clenched her pulse rifle and flicked off the safety.</p><p>“Hiro, we good to go?”</p><p>The gunslinger synced his helmet to the scope of his vortex rifle, using its x-ray feature to scan for hidden enemies.</p><p>“Coast is clear.”</p><p>“…Move out.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The interior of the Argent Facility was completely dark, with only the odd sparking wire casting a faint light, but the Marine could navigate just fine thanks to his Clearsight. Littered appliances, dust contamination from the faulty airlock, and a circle of bloody headless skeletons hanging by ropes of sinew above a pool of gore, illuminated by the fiery pentagrammic sigil on the floor below. Nothing out of the ordinary.</p><p>“…AAAAAAAAA…”</p><p>What in the bloody nine circles was that?</p><p>“…AAAAAAAAA…”</p><p>Was that…screaming? It sounded like a man’s yell, not in pain or terror but…abandon? And it wasn’t stopping either. Whoever or whatever was making that sound did so without stopping to catch their breath. Most peculiar.</p><p>The sound grew louder as the Marine headed towards the first induction filter. The exit airlock was damaged, with only the malfunctioning exterior gate shut to separate the interior of the installation from the poisonous Martian environment. Whatever was making that sound was precisely on the other side. The Marine dug his hands into the faulty gate and pried it open, briefly catching sight of a headless corpse with two flaming skulls in its aloft hands before the screaming entity exploded in the Marine’s face, throwing him to the ground with the force of the blast. 86 HEALTH.</p><p>Those weren’t supposed to be here.</p><p>A sulky Marine picked himself up and rushed into the sandstorm as the soft tones produced by his Resonators intensified into warbling riffs. His plasma cutter’s blue aiming lasers swept through the dust and settled on the lesser demons alerted to the Marine’s presence. <em>POW POW! POW! POW! POW! </em>The imps and soldiers standing outside were swiftly decapitated by precise plasma pulses. Thanks to his Clearsight, he could shoot perfectly fine even through the thick dust, the demons appearing as bright red silhouettes in the Marine’s otherwise greyscale visual field.</p><p>He rushed past the decapitated bodies into a large flat clearing, outside the facility containing the first induction filter. The area was occupied by a crowd of lesser demons which immediately turned onto the Marine as soon as he beheld their red outlines. Despite them being too distant to perceive him at all through the dust, he knew it was because of his Clearsight. If he could psychically sense them, so could they to him.</p><p>Switching back to normal sight, the Marine paid close attention to the sounds traveling through the hazy battlefield, even through the thin atmosphere and howling storm. A dark imp screeched behind him, a Hell Razer vocalized at his ten o’clock, and a flamer zombie fired up its flamethrower straight ahead.</p><p>“…AAAAAAAAA…”</p><p>First things first.</p><p>The Marine quickly switched to his shotgun and fired a shrapnel shot in the direction of the headless kamikaze rapidly approaching from the right. An explosion ensued, followed by the gore of several demons splashing onto the rocky soil. A crackling blue fireball curved through the dust towards the Marine, and he dodged it as he shot the dark imp who’d thrown it. The glow of rolling flames blossomed through the haze up ahead, and the Marine quickly rolled out of the way before the flames fell upon him. He aimed his shotgun towards the source of the fire stream and pulled the trigger, staying clear of the explosion as the flamer zombie perished.</p><p>A new sound pierced through the storm to the Marine’s left, a savage hiss that echoed through the clearing, just as he caught sight of a flaming horned skull soaring through the dust towards him. He darted out of the Lost Soul’s path before it mauled him and shot it, watching it crumble and fade away in a flurry of ash and embers.</p><p>The Marine spotted the eye glow of several Lost Souls floating near the Facility entrance, and he backed away to restore his HEALTH. He could see up ahead the shadow of a possessed soldier, easy picking. He charged toward it, raised his fists and- <em>BANG! </em>The soldier released a burning blast of buckshot at the Marine. 78 HEALTH. Through the pain and rage, the Marine saw the double-barreled shotgun in the soldier’s hand. Furious, he backed away and fired his plasma cutter, severing the monster’s arms and its grip on the weapon with a single well-placed shot before drawing close again, hoping to bait it to attack again. Sure enough, the disarmed zombie lunged at the Marine to bite him, but he swiftly raised his Bracer and blocked the attack, staggering the zombie before breaking off its exposed arm bone and driving the sharp end through its head. 88 HEALTH, 12 ARMOR.</p><p>The Marine activated his Clearsight again. Equipping his assault rifle as the demons once more sensed his presence, the Marine first eliminated the swarm of Lost Souls before they fell upon him. He Rampaged towards a squad of soldiers while shooting at a pack of dark imps, focusing a Blood Punch with his free hand. <em>POWW! </em>With 102 HEALTH and 29 ARMOR, the Marine confidently switched to the rocket launcher. <em>BANG! BANG! BANG! </em>Hell Razer, soldier, and imp body parts flew across the clearing in every possible direction.</p><p>The hulking shape of a Hell Knight slammed into the ground in front of the Marine. Quickly switching to the phase rifle before another counterproductive event occured, he unloaded a stream of plasmoids unto the Hell Knight before noticing another manifest not far behind. He threw a frag grenade at his feet and fell back to put distance between himself and the demons, dodging their fireballs before the grenade explosion faltered them. Stacked beside the Facility was a pallet of barrels. Most appeared red in his Clearsight, the explosive variety, but a single barrel below them appeared blue. The Marine rushed towards the jack and grabbed the blue barrel, slinging it at the Hell Knights before shooting it. Instead of exploding in flame, the barrel released a powerful discharge of electricity that stopped the demons where they stood, writhing in pain as electricity arced across their bodies. Presumably that barrel had been some kind of industrial capacitor.</p><p>The Marine grabbed his rocket launcher and fired his last two rockets at the nearest Hell Knight before the stunning effect wore off. The heavily wounded monster turned to the Marine in pure malice, leaping high into the air and-</p><p>
  <em>KA-POW!</em>
</p><p>Just in time.</p><p>A bolt of scarlet lightning descended from above and struck the soaring Hell Knight, instantly vaporizing it. The energy vortex above the Argent Tower was intensifying, crimson lightning spreading across the dry dust picked up by the windstorm.</p><p>He equipped the phase rifle and fired at the last Hell Knight. He charged to release the fatal heat blast when he sensed a lightning bolt about to strike right at his position. Thinking fast, he rushed out of the way before the bolt of Argent lightning fell on him. The storm was getting stronger, and he was entirely covered in metal. He fell back towards the Facility while keeping clear of the Hell Knight’s equally fast fireballs.</p><p>The Marine hopped onto a ramp leading into the Facility when he got that same feeling again. Another one was coming, but this time he could use it to his advantage. With the Hell Knight too far for a proximity mine, he switched to his EMG and quick-fired a stun shot. As the Hell Knight writhed in electrified agony, the Marine raised his gaze to the heavens, eyeing the churning vortex of Argent energy. The lightning bolt descended onto the Marine with the speed of a blazing devil, but even faster still he raised his Bracer and skillfully caught the bolt in the palm of his hand. Clenching his fist to contain the raging energy, the Marine turned to the Hell Knight just as the stun effect wore off, releasing the bolt and disintegrating the demon where it stood.</p><p>Without stopping to admire his skill, he hurried into the facility and continued into an adjacent room, where his HUD marked a thick pipe-like apparatus attached to the far wall besides a series of monitors. A cylindrical component, presumably the filter itself, jutted out from the machinery.</p><p>“<em>We are only temporarily disabling the Tower,</em>” Hayden clarified.</p><p>No they weren’t.</p><p>“<em>You need to remove each lens indivi-</em>”</p><p>Hayden stopped when he heard the sound of breaking glass and metal, product of the Marine promptly and furiously stomping on the protruding filter, the delicate machinery shattering and spilling on the floor.</p><p>“Warning. Energy contamination detected,” spoke the automated facility voice.</p><p>“<em>Destroying the production of Argent Energy </em>isn’t <em>necessary</em>,” Hayden expressed in a tone that sounded as through gritted teeth, but the Marine wasn’t paying attention.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Oh Raging One, I beseech thee, calm your righteous fury!” Implored the Deag priest, hunched over in supplication and from a back once broken. “The Elixir is a most treasured resource for Argent D’Nur! It is the source of our great civilization’s power! It sustains our Warpers’ sorceries, feeds our Sentinels’ weapons, fuels our mighty Atlan warriors!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It had also opened Hellgates directly into Argent D’Nur and corrupted their once honorable people. Led them into temptation. Delivered them into evil.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> But he was not in the mood to argue. He stowed his super shotgun onto his back and simply cracked his knuckles.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Please! You cannot do this!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He set his eyes on the distant Elixir Foundry as he prepared to charge.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Nooooo!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>With a booming shockwave he blazed at terrible speed towards the looming infernal tower. He clenched his hand into a fist and…</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Hayden was wrong.</p><p>It was not only necessary, it was imperative.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>I moved from behind one tree-like spike to another, constantly looking over my shoulders as I strained to look for potential threats. So far, I hadn’t come across any. Scarlet lightning savagely flashed in the distance while that same foul wind continued to blow. A haunting foghorn-like bellow echoed across the wretched landscape.</p><p>“Colonel, you pick anything up yet?”</p><p>“<em>Not yet, soldier. You’re literally in the middle of nowhere.</em>”</p><p>“What exactly am I looking for?”</p><p>“<em>At this point, literally anything. But portals come in a lot of shapes. You remember the teleporters back at the base?”</em></p><p>I…did. I actually remembered: Those creepy blue pods that supposedly broke a person up into all their particles and reassembled them at the other end. UAC had them all over their off-Earth colonies. Rumor was they were built from artifacts found on Mars’s moons way back before…before what?</p><p>“<em>Yeah, that’s one example. But Hell’s reality is unstable. It shouldn’t be long before you come across some type of rift.”</em></p><p>Something hissed nearby, and I briefly glimpsed at a gnarled shape before it darted behind cover. It was close.</p><p>“Colonel,” I muttered while backing away, “I’m stranded in uncharted territory and the natives aren’t looking too friendly. I don’t know how much longer I can last.”</p><p>“<em>Well, you’re a soldier, do something! I’m on the other side of the damn cosmos! There’s only so much I can do!”</em></p><p>Before I could reply, a screeching figure rushed out from behind a spike and charged at me. Its screech was like fingernails on a chalkboard. I reflexively shot it with my missiles and blasted it to oblivion, but other creatures screeched all around me.</p><p>“Damn it!”</p><p>I extended my spear and sprung into action. I dashed out of one creature’s path and leapt above another one as it charged, but found I had limited space to maneuver in that enclosed forest. I struck a towering spine and winced as something clawed at my back.</p><p>“AAAAH!”</p><p>I swung my spear at the darkness, lashing blindly hoping to catch something with the bronze tip. I must have hit something, because a slimy tentacle fell to the ground and squirmed violently as the creature retreated. I lobbed volley after volley of homing missiles into the shadows, knowing those would hit their mark, but in that cramped volume I got caught in their blasts. Before long, my overshield turned red.</p><p>A serrated tentacle whipped out of the shadows and struck at my chest, and with a surging blast the field surrounding my body dispelled.</p><p>My overshield had broken.</p><p>“<em>John, look out!”</em></p><p>A chittering beast darted between the spikes towards me. I skewered it with my spear as it leapt, but it remained alive and lashed at me in a flurry of writhing tentacles. I yelled as the razor-sharp appendages cleaved through my chassis. I hoisted the impaled creature into the air and slammed it on the ground, forcing the impaled spear through its body and slicing its head in half. The tentacles finally dropped to the floor.</p><p>“…<em>OOOOOOHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>That foghorn sound. It came from behind, and…above.</p><p>I turned and froze in abject terror as I struggled to comprehend what I was looking at.</p><p>Towering above the forest of spikes was a hideous and grotesquely emaciated beast the likes of which I could have never imagined even in my wildest nightmares. It was almost like a man, a man with freakishly long arms and legs walking on all fours across the hellscape, stepping impossibly light and delicately for something its size. It was skeletal in appearance, needle-like bones piercing through its thin skin, and its head was horrendously disfigured. A mass of tentacles hung from its face, writhing and squirming in the wind, and even through the darkness I could see the malicious glint from its beady black eyes.</p><p>It was staring right at me.</p><p>“<em>Run! Get the hell out of there! RUN!”</em></p><p>Colonel Johnson’s voice snapped me out of my terror-induced daze. I saw the lowly beasts slink back into the forest and decided to follow their example. I collapsed my spear and bolted off into the shadows.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The team sneaked across the mine hurriedly yet discretely, staying close to the great machines scattered across the rusty Martian surface. Most of them remained in operation, whirring and chugging along despite the certain death of all their operators.</p><p>Ruby was tense. She did not feel comfortable out in the open given the crisis, much less with her hearing reduced to nothing. Mars’s thin atmosphere was barely conducive to sound by itself, but the cacophony of industry drowned out all other noise, leaving her and the other survivors to depend on sight alone.</p><p>Oddly enough, the mine was completely uninhabited. She had expected light demonic presence, but not even Hiro with his X-Glass had detected even a single living (or unliving) being ever since they set foot in the mine. And this was what concerned Ruby the most.</p><p>She forced herself to calm down and focus.</p><p>
  <em>Remember what you said: sound transmission isn’t an issue. If you can’t hear them coming, neither can they.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Besides, if the mine is uninhabited, that just means clear sailing for us. We’re not seeing anything because there’s nothing there. What more do you want, Taylor?</em>
</p><p>“Agent,” Reeve’s voice buzzed over the radio. “We have to go through that gate.”</p><p>Ruby turned to where the engineer pointed. Roughly twenty meters away stood a gate through a tall electrified fence. The gate itself was a force-field checkpoint but was currently deactivated.</p><p>“Okay, let’s go.”</p><p>The team split in two to keep from drawing attention, as they had been doing since entering the mine. Ruby moved ahead with Reeves, while the other three brought up the rear.</p><p>Ruby and Reeves darted quickly through the gate, and the others moved to follow when Ruby noticed the lights on the gate blink to life.</p><p>“Run! This gate is about to close!”</p><p>The three men broke into a sprint but it was too late. The force field flashed into being between the gate pillars and Rogers bounced hard off the blue beehive barrier.</p><p>They were cut off.</p><p>“What’s the meaning of this?” The lieutenant yelled as he angrily picked himself off the ground. “What the hell is happening?”</p><p>Ruby turned to Reeves, whose body posture suggested bewilderment.</p><p>“I don’t…I don’t know. These gates are supposed to stay open during the day to let cargo through. Someone must have reprogrammed it.”</p><p>“What the hell does that mean?! Someone MANUALLY shut this gate?!”</p><p>Romero put his hand on the lieutenant’s shoulder.</p><p>“Nobody’s saying that. Maybe we should fall back and-”</p><p>“Get your damn hands off me, you filthy mercen-!”</p><p>Ruby had had enough.</p><p>“QUIET!!”</p><p>Silence immediately followed. Ruby waited a few moments to ensure she had everyone’s attention before continuing.</p><p>“This is just a setback. Obviously, we have to find a way to regroup. Reeves, are there other routes to the control facility?”</p><p>“Of course. If they go through that building,” she said while pointing to an adjacent installation, “an underground service tunnel will drop them on this side of the fence.”</p><p>“Sounds good. You three get to that building. Reeves will guide you through while the two of us continue forward. If you run into any roadblocks, we’ll help you out once we reach the control facility.”</p><p>“Sounds like a plan,” Romero remarked while heading in that direction. “Mr. Harrison, stay close.”</p><p>“Right behind you, kiddo.”</p><p>Rogers remained at the gate.</p><p>“Lieutenant, you have the comm. I trust those two to you. Get them back safe. All of you. If we don’t work together, none of us are getting off this rock.”</p><p>The soldier looked on a few more moments before nodding in agreement.</p><p>“Copy that,” he said before falling back to catch up with the others.</p><p>“I want constant reports!” Ruby called out at the lieutenant.</p><p>“Yes, Agent!”</p><p>“Amanda, let’s go.”</p><p>Ruby let the engineer take the lead before discretely switching her radio to a private channel.</p><p>“Hiro, you copy?”</p><p>“Taylor, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“This is a private channel. Listen, I want you to keep an eye on Rogers. Do as he says, but let me know if starts acting strange.”</p><p>“You think he’s turning?”</p><p>“It might be just the stress, but the situation isn’t a favorable one. Especially not for him.”</p><p>“What should I do in case…you know?”</p><p>“Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The Marine strutted across a walkway leading towards the second induction filter, keeping sight and foresight keen for stray lightning bolts. His senses were sharp but not omniscient, and Hell had the tendency to make things unclear. Reaching the gate to the filter facility, he instead turned left onto a path leading across a precipitous rocky ledge. Staying clear of the cliff’s edge, he walked up to the object of his interest: a runestone suspended a few centimeters off the ground. This one appeared as liquid cast into solid form, a thick black fluid viscously bubbling and steaming, with an inscribed crimson sigil glowing in its center. He recognized the symbol.</p><p>The Marine warily touched the rune, feeling the “stone’s” distinct warmness and noticing its surface ripple with the contact.</p><p>RUNE ACQUIRED – BOILING BLOOD</p><p>DAMAGE TAKEN WILL BE RECIPROCATED BACK UNTO THE WORLD</p><p>The Marine equipped the rune, feeling the familiar symbol flash in his mind. Runecraft wasn’t his specialty though, and he knew he couldn’t sustain too many runes simultaneously, especially in his weakened state.</p><p>The runestone floated beside a cargo crate with a dead soldier reclined on it, the remains of their head scattered behind them from a self-inflicted gunshot, but the Marine stared at the culprit weapon still clenched in their hands, an old break-action double barreled shotgun.</p><p>…<em>old hands reached for the fireplace mantle…</em></p><p>
  <em>…grabbed the firearm, reminder of lives saved and lives lost…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…gently passed it to his own…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“…fight evil, wherever and however it may appear…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…a gift, a promise, a curse…</em>
</p><p>That’s not important, the Marine thought as he forced himself to focus. His own super shotgun had been a tool of unparalleled destructive power, before which this one could never compare. However, with his stored arsenal inaccessible, he might as well just take it.</p><p>SUPER SHOTGUN ACQUIRED</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – SHELLS</p><p>PRIMARY FIRE – PIERCING BUCKSHOT BLAST</p><p>SECONDARY FIRE – EXPLOSIVE SLUG</p><p>Well, at least until he could recover the one in his storage matrix, this one would have to do.</p><p>…He still had his own super shotgun, right?</p><p>Walking towards the facility gate as he brought up his Suit’s directory, the Marine searched for the firearm in his weapon cache.</p><p>ERROR: NO RESULTS FOUND</p><p>The Marine made no physical reaction as he entered the empty installation, a spacious multi-tiered installation cast in the blue glow of tall coolant tanks. He merely breathed in, loaded two shells into his new weapon, and waited for the demons to warp in.</p><p>He threw a grenade to his left, lightly tossed a proximity mine behind him, and launched another grenade high into the air in front. A squad of soldiers apparated in but promptly disappeared in a surge of flame and gibs as the first grenade exploded at their feet. Another flamer zombie manifested behind the Marine but exploded as it stepped onto the mine, and he simply charged towards where the next demon was going to appear at.</p><p>Sure enough, the air churned with dark magic as the Summoner appeared. Lesser Hellspawn of the Archdemons; tall and lithe, he’d seen their Argent wave attacks crumble buildings and even bring fighter ships down. Annoying as all Hell but thankfully easy to put down.</p><p>The Summoner raised its arms as it created summoning portals to invoke even more demons, but the last grenade exploded in its face and broke its ritual. The Marine leapt at it and blasted its head off with a double dose of burning buckshot. He landed on his feet and rolled out of the way as a railgun soldier fired a bolt at him, loading two fresh shells into the shotgun. Rampaging towards the zombie, he blocked another bolt with his Bracer before turning the demon into fine red paste. The spent shells twirled through the air as the Marine turned to where another Summoner had just warped in. He aimed and fired two slugs at the demon, which darted away in a red wispy trail before reappearing on the other side of the room. The slugs struck the tall coolant tanks, and the Marine noticed cracks appear on the glassy surface as the Summoner stopped and invoked a fresh wave of hellish beasts. Two of them made high squealing noise, much to the Marine’s displeasure.</p><p>He switched to his rocket launcher and Rampaged with furious determination towards the Summoner. He rammed through the brick red boar-like demons and fired a rocket at the Summoner, missing but managing to catch it in the blast. As the demon rushed away in a flurry of flame he turned back to the Pinkies, but too slow and one of them rammed into him with its armored face plate. As his ARMOR dropped to 9, the Marine’s body emanated a crackling wave of crimson energy, and the Pinky stumbled back as the wave burned through its body and scorched parts of its flesh off. Shaking its head to recover its bearings, the beast snarled at the Marine, who’d since leapt over the demon and fired a point-blank shotgun blast at the Pinky’s unarmored flank. The demon crumbled into a pile of singed flesh and bone on the floor, leaving behind only an echoing squeal and the faintest smell of cooked pork.</p><p>The Marine moved on and leapt high past the other Pinky and onto the building’s second level. A swarm of Lost Souls floated aimlessly in the upper rafters, turning their flaming eyes towards him as he entered their field of vision. He thinned their numbers with his assault rifle but one of them dodged his fire and snapped at him, crumbling apart as the Marine’s Boiling Blood rune returned the harm done unto it, but not before destroying his ARMOR. Furious, the Marine raised his Bracer to block another incoming Lost Soul. The creature struck the shield surrounding his forearm and dizzily spun for a split second before the Marine dug his fingers into the floating skull’s empty eye sockets and tore it in two. 115 HEALTH, 10 ARMOR.</p><p>He sprinted across the building’s second floor, using precision bolts to snipe at demons on the floor below. He downed a dark imp, a rocket zombie, an engineer zombie and three soldiers beside it. A Hell Razer raised its arm cannon and sliced at the air behind the Marine. He took careful aim and keenly headshot it, the demon exploding and killing two others nearby. He leapt off the second floor and landed hard on an unlucky imp, crushing its skull with his boot before switching back to the rocket launcher. He dodged a plasma soldier’s heat blast, a flamer’s fire stream, a dark imp’s speedy green fireballs, cleaving and punching his way through them to recover ARMOR and munitions. An engineer zombie shambled mindlessly ahead. He grabbed it by its embedded acetylene tank and searched for the second Summoner, finding it up ahead launching furious waves of Argent energy. The Marine strafed to dodge the waves, only vaguely hearing them tear through the Facility walls far behind. He threw the engineer at the Summoner, but it wisped away and the zombie exploded harmlessly against the wall. Something squealed behind the Marine, and he angrily focused a Blood Punch and eviscerated the rushing Pinky with a single blow.</p><p>The Summoner still rushed around the chamber invoking new demons every few moments, and the Marine knew he was running out of time. He switched to the EMG, brought a charged shot to full capacity, and pulled the trigger. The shot his its mark and the Summoner contorted in pain as the electrified plasma surged through its body. The Marine Rampaged towards it, effortlessly ramming through imps and soldiers in his path, reaching the Summoner just as the stun wore off. At such close range the demon attempted to slash at him with wicked claws, which he swiftly blocked with his Bracer. He leapt onto the staggered creature, firmly grasped its bony crown, and tore its head off in one fluid motion.</p><p>Glancing at the cracked coolant tank, he switched to his rocket launcher and blasted the tank open. A wave of steaming liquid came down pouring onto the floor of the installation, spreading out across the chamber and catching all demons in their wake. The Marine leapt out of the path of the oncoming wave onto the second floor, watching the creatures freeze solid in agonized poses.</p><p>The digit under his Calibrator counter ticked up to nine.</p><p>The Marine leapt down onto the first floor’s railings, taking care to avoid the pools of steaming coolant as it ran off into collection drains. It probably wouldn’t hurt him but it might jam up his Suit’s joints.</p><p>Kicking down the gate to the filter room, he frowned as Hayden once again pestered over the comm line.</p><p>“<em>You must stop, the Hell energy is unusable without the filters!</em>”</p><p>The Marine hoped that was the case as he brought his foot down on the whirring apparatus, breaking it entirely off.</p><p>“Warning. Energy contamination at critical levels.”</p><p>Having destroyed the filter, the Marine proceeded to collect the supplies scattered throughout the room as Hayden continued to badger.</p><p>
  <em>“What you are destroying is more valuable than you can possibly imagine. It is a perfect and unlimited energy...”</em>
</p><p>A set of electric batteries fully restocked his chainsaw while a large ammo crate brought his other weapons to full capacity. Box of grenades, box of mines. A tactical shield and discarded helmet lay in a corner; the Marine collected them to gain 30 ARMOR.</p><p><em>“…spent decades perfecting the technology. We combined their endless power with our science to…</em>”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Argent D’Nur has survived for centuries thanks to the blessings of our Wraiths, but now we will prosper, thanks to the Elixir that surges from our enemies! Our strength, our wisdom, our might is indomitable! The dark ones will cower before us!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You will not stop our progress! You, an outsider, a Traveler, have no say in the future of our people!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now fall back in line with the other prisoners or I will-”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He’d had enough. First his super shotgun had been taken away, then he was chained up with other wayward travelers like a lowly criminal, and now this priest dared disregard his valid concerns and even insult him. He threw his sword down and bitterly approached the priest.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Wait, what are doing? Stand back! Guards, kill this-</em>
</p><p>
  <em>AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The Marine rolled his eyes. It was always the progress, always the future, always the hubris for having ‘outwitted’ and ‘mastered’ the powers of Hell. Never the demons that ravaged their worlds and left mountains of innocent corpses. Never the fact that they always played right into the dark ones’ hands, another pawn to be consumed when they outlived their utility.</p><p>So much for the future.</p><p>There was a curious little robot floating beside a control terminal, carrying a supply crate in tiny suspension brackets. The Marine walked over to it and grabbed the crate’s handle, softly pulling it. It didn’t let go.</p><p>He poked at the drone’s large unblinking eye, hoping to get some response as he tugged harder. It still wouldn’t release the supply crate.</p><p>The Marine swung the attached robot onto the wall, smashing it off but taking care not to damage the crate. He opened it to find a small three-pronged metallic device. He grabbed it and watched as after a few moments of processing, the Praetor Suit integrated it into his left hand.</p><p>STUN BOMB ACQUIRED</p><p>IDENTIFIED AS EQUIPMENT – SYNCHRONIZED TO EQUIPMENT MODULE</p><p>STUN BOMB WILL AUTOMATICALLY RECHARGE THROUGH EQUIPMENT CYCLER</p><p>NOTICE: MANUAL LAUNCH OF EQUIPMENT ITEMS IS STILL REQUIRED</p><p>His equipment launcher was still damaged. He’d have to repair it soon to free up his left hand during combat.</p><p>“<em>…usable and safe! We solved an energy crisis the world had no answer for!</em></p><p>
  <em>It works! You cannot do this!”</em>
</p><p>The Marine blew air out his nose in exasperation as he approached a relay terminal besides the destroyed filter. He wouldn’t be able to block Hayden’s transmissions, but perhaps he could drown out his irritating voice.</p><p>Moments later, arcane waveforms thrummed through the air once the Marine synced his Suit’s Resonators to the Facility speakers. Smirking, he exited back out through the door and elbowed a frozen dark imp out of sheer spite, listening to the cracking sounds as its body shattered into dark chunks on the floor behind him.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>“…<em>OOOOOOHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>The tall monstrous beast mournfully bellowed in the distance, and I peered at it from behind the cover of a gnarled spike.</p><p>“Colonel, what the hell is that?”</p><p>“<em>Looks like some type of Abherrant, big freakish monsters that haunt the infernal wastelands. They don’t listen to anyone but themselves, and even most demons stay out of their way. You should too. They’re raw manifestations of Hell’s chaos. There’s no telling what they can or might do.”</em></p><p>The creature somberly treaded across the spiked landscape, with seemingly no purpose or agency in mind. I quietly slinked away. Its calm demeanor terrified me, and even though my overshield had returned, my chassis was damaged. I had to leave this cursed place.</p><p>It felt as if the tree-spikes were growing thicker, and when I looked up I noticed their tops began to overlap, almost like scales forming a thick canopy.</p><p>
  <em>“Wait wait wait, did you see that?”</em>
</p><p>I saw something, a flickering light that briefly glimpsed from behind a spine. I stepped back and saw something small and distinctly bright burn close by within the forest. After a moment of hesitation I cautiously ambled towards it.</p><p>“<em>Be careful.</em>”</p><p>The spines had grown close together and difficult to traverse, and I struggled to move past them. Before long I stepped onto a flat clearing and gaped at the sight before me.</p><p>It seemed to be a hideout for what I imagined had once been human soldiers. Mangled and contorted corpses lay on the ground in various degrees of deformity, dressed in some dark military uniform of ages past which appeared oddly familiar. I couldn’t describe it. Crates of equipment lay in disarray throughout the clearing, cast in the fiery yellow glow of a small object which floated about a meter off the ground. I put off analyzing the object to take a closer look at the strewn supplies.</p><p>Paper maps, scouting instruments, a bag of simple mechanic tools. Wrenches, saws, hammers and the like. Nothing which appeared modern or even electronic in nature.</p><p>
  <em>How old is this stuff?</em>
</p><p>There were firearms in the crates. Ancient firearms. Pistols, machine guns, wooden rifles, I even discovered a fossil fuel flamethrower. Entirely metal, no composite materials anywhere.</p><p>
  <em>This is…must be twentieth century.</em>
</p><p>One of the firearms caught my eye, something that looked like a bulky triple-barreled shotgun.</p><p>
  <em>No way. It’s automatic.</em>
</p><p>“<em>You know, you might be able to graft that onto your weapons platform.”</em></p><p>“What do you mean, Colonel?”</p><p>
  <em>“Your missile launchers are mounted on a multi-purpose modular platform. Currently those are the only guns on it, but if you find other viable weapons, you could add those and freely switch between. Totally hands-free.”</em>
</p><p>“Get out of here.”</p><p>“<em>Don’t believe me? Grab the other one in the crate and hold them up to your launchers. I’ll take it from there.”</em></p><p>I did as the Colonel said, grabbing another of the bulky firearms and holding them onto my launchers, facing forward. Immediately, the weapon system on my back pulled the guns out of my hands with buzzing noises. The guns spun and whirred in my field of vision, presumably as they were integrated into my system.</p><p>“<em>All right, synchronize that…get rid of that…link the trigger to your brain…So, they appear to be miniaturized flak cannons. They fire a short-range burst of burning shrapnel at a decently fast rate. They even shoot incendiary blasts! Slower but pack a bigger punch.</em></p><p>
  <em>Right, that’s done. Why don’t you try that out?”</em>
</p><p>The guns had been seamlessly fused into my weapon platforms. I signaled the firing function and watched as white-hot shrapnel loudly shot out the muzzles and sparked on the floor. Remembering Johnson’s comments, I turned towards a space in the clearing and cautiously fired an incendiary blast.</p><p>
  <em>POWW!</em>
</p><p>“Damn!”</p><p>The amber blast surged through the darkness and scorched the rocky ground, leaving dwindling flames in its wake.</p><p>
  <em>Okay, I can make this work. Lastly…</em>
</p><p>I sent a new signal, and the weapon mounts instantly switched to my default missile launchers. Switch, flak cannons.</p><p>
  <em>Bitchin’.</em>
</p><p>“Hey Colonel, you said my weapon platform is multi-purpose, right? That means I can add even more guns to the mounts, right?”</p><p>“<em>Looks that way. If I’m reading this correctly, it seems you can add… three more weapon systems to your platform.”</em></p><p>
  <em>Nice. Now, just what exactly is that thing?</em>
</p><p>I turned to face the cryptic floating object which irradiated the entire arena and took a few tentative steps in its direction.</p><p>“Shit!”</p><p>There was a corpse immediately underneath it. Why hadn’t I seen it before? It was a creature lying on its back, the object floating above the gaping cavity in its chest. But it didn’t seem like the other beasts I’d previously encounters, it almost looked…human. Two arms, two legs, about the right proportions, but it didn’t wear any uniform and I could clearly see its dreadfully disfigured body, lying in sharp focus under the piercing yellow light.</p><p>
  <em>It’s face- nope. Not looking at its face.</em>
</p><p>I stood before the object. It was a small, impeccably detailed sculpture, shaped as two spires twirling around each other. Likely made of bone. Narrow grooves and channels on its surface burned with arcane energy.</p><p>“<em>You’re not actually going to touch that?”</em></p><p>“I’m lost in the middle of nowhere and I haven’t found anything in the…how long have I been here? This weird thing might be the way out.”</p><p>“<em>Sure was for these poor fellows.”</em></p><p>“Couldn’t take the heat. But I think I can.”</p><p>I breathed deeply in and slowly reached out, my hand inching towards the object. I clenched my teeth, braced myself…and touched it. Nothing.</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>It was hard and rough, warm even, but it didn’t seem to do anything.</p><p>“<em>Well, so much for-”</em></p><p>“AAAAAAHHHHHH!”</p><p>The object had suddenly erupted in a bright swell of energy, filling the whole clearing with writhing yellow flames. I was suspended in the air, watching helplessly as the power coalesced and streamed into my body with a howling shriek.</p><p>“HOLY SHIIIIII-”</p><p>And just as suddenly it ended and I fell to the ground, panting in what was now a pitch-black clearing. The luminous object had vanished. My hands phosphoresced with pale yellow flames which soon faded to nothing. I felt…</p><p>Great. I felt spectacular. It felt as if there was great power pooled under my skin, just waiting to be released.</p><p>“<em>Amazing…John! You’re not going to believe this! Your system is giving off crazy readings! That thing must have been a pyromancy totem! You’re generating combat-grade levels of Argent energy! You can focus it through a psionic channel to release a wave of Hellfire that burns enemies away!”</em></p><p>“Wh-what are you talking about? You mean like a spell?”</p><p>“<em>Yes! A spell! Your system can deploy spells!”</em></p><p>“How do I use it?”</p><p>“<em>Like this!”</em></p><p>Esoteric words and thoughts flashed through my mind. Before I realized it my hands rose to form a strange gesture in an outward motion, and a wave of vicious flames shot out in front of me at hellish speed. It spread through the clearing and the spine forest beyond, immolating the corpses and abandoned supplies to leave nothing but charred ashes in its wake.</p><p>“Siiiiiick.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>“The clearance code is eight-three-three-two. Follow that corridor to the end until you find a tunnel leading through the exposed bedrock. Take it all the way to the end, it’ll drop you on the other side of the fence. You won’t be able to open the other door from your side, but we’ll take care of that. Over.”</p><p>“Copy. We’re moving. Rogers out.”</p><p>Reeves glanced at the patiently waiting Ruby and resumed guiding her through the mine. The other group had safely reached the target building and were currently taking an underground tunnel to their side of the fence, while Ruby and Reeves had reached the primary control facility and were logging onto the system.</p><p>So far, no one had yet encountered any enemy forces.</p><p>Ruby stayed close to the engineer and kept her pulse rifle ready as Reeves logged onto a terminal. The facility buzzed and hummed with the operation of distant machinery, and faulty ceiling fixtures occasionally sparked onto the blood-streaked floor. Ruby felt skittish.</p><p>“It can’t be,” Reeves whispered.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“The Argent Tower’s energy signatures are through the roof. It’s being overloaded with the energy pools of all four adjacent sectors.”</p><p>Ruby peered over the engineer’s shoulder onto the terminal. Indeed, all available monitors were being bombarded with warning messages.</p><p>WARNING: CRITICAL SYSTEMS MELTDOWN</p><p>CATEGORY THREE INTERDIMENSIONAL BREACH IN T – 8 MINUTES</p><p>Ruby knew the only ones who had such high-level clearance to the Argent Tower to do such a thing were Central Command. Hayden and Pierce.</p><p>
  <em>No way. They’ve really gone and done it.</em>
</p><p>She glanced at another monitor at the edge of the terminal, a scanner for demonic presence throughout the Base. What it depicted astounded her: the main nexus of infestation centered around the Lazarus Labs, undoubtedly the source of the invasion, but thousands of demons from all across Mars were converging towards the Tower and the adjacent filtering facility. Something was drawing them there. Leaving the outer sectors of the Base, such as the mine where the team currently resided, completely uninhabited.</p><p>
  <em>So that’s why. If this keeps up, we just might have a chance of reaching the Spaceport. But what happens when the countdown hits zero?</em>
</p><p>Ruby tapped the scanner monitor to run a diagnostic on the target region.</p><p>
  <em>What the hell?</em>
</p><p>The key energy filters at the Argent Facility were being sabotaged. Both induction filters had already been destroyed, leaving only the third and final processor supplying energy to the Tower.</p><p>
  <em>That’ll shut down the Tower for sure, but who’s doing that? Demons wouldn’t do that, they’d do everything to tear open a breach to their dimension. And they wouldn’t need such numbers to do so, they must be trying to stop whoever’s responsible.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Can’t be other survivors, I don’t think many others made it, and they’d never get past the lockdown or infestation. Hayden maybe? No, he’d never sabotage the energy production. Even a unit of Lazarus Droids would get taken out quickly, and that arrogant bastard would never do it himself. I bet that shiny prick’s holed up in his bunker. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>But who-</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nah, couldn’t be.</em>
</p><p>“No one’s waiting for us at the Spaceport, is there?” Reeves asked in a tone that was more disappointed than afraid, snapping Ruby out of her trance.</p><p>Ruby was at a loss for words and debated how to answer before Romero’s transmission gratefully broke the silence.</p><p>“Red Team, this is Blue Team! We’ve reached the end of the service tunnel and are staring dead smack at a locked door! How about opening it up for us?”</p><p>The engineer gasped and replied to the sudden interruption.</p><p>“C-copy! This is Reeves! Opening the gate now!”</p><p>“Hiro, you there?” Ruby decisively asked.</p><p>“Taylor, still here! What’s up?”</p><p>“We’ve reached the control facility! The three of you get your asses over here as fast as you can! Don’t worry about any enemies! Just run!”</p><p>“Run? The hell are you talking about? Are we in trouble?”</p><p>“Not right now, but that’s the thing! The mine is empty! I’ll explain everything when you get here! Just hurry!”</p><p>“We’re moving!”</p><p>Ruby turned to Reeves. The engineer was sitting on the floor against the terminal, her HAR lying beside her, clearly lost in thought. Ruby walked towards her but said nothing.</p><p>“I never really wanted to come to Mars. I wanted to work in the aerospace industry back on Earth. My father worked on the hypercruisers arriving at the Houston Spaceport. He often would take me there as a kid, telling me about the adventures the colonists had in the Asteroid Belt or Saturn. Didn’t want to live in the frontier, just liked the ships.</p><p>But I…I had a falling out, with my mother. She works at Biodyne. She wanted an office job for me and, I didn’t. We crossed words and…I came to Mars. As far away from Earth and her as possible. Working on a restricted planet owned by a government-contracted megacorp? Never have to see her again. But I…</p><p>I didn’t really mean what I said. I was angry, she was angry, I shouldn’t have left things that way. I haven’t spoken to her in twenty years. And now…I don’t think I’ll get to say I’m sorry.”</p><p>Ruby remained silent. She kept standing by the terminal facing Reeves but made no reaction.</p><p>She then powered down her pulse rifle and lowered herself besides the engineer, likewise relaxing against the terminal.</p><p>
  <em>The hell am I doing?</em>
</p><p>“Do you remember the Europa Rebellion back in ‘32?” She casually asked.</p><p>“Not really.”</p><p>“I was in it. Wide-eyed recruit fresh off the academy, eager to make a quick buck in corporate defense. Worked for Mixom back then. Our platoon sergeant was this decorated Mars vet, I think he served in the Phobos Firewall or something. Carl Johnson was his name.</p><p>Biggest asshole in the world, that son of a bitch. Strictest and most demanding bastard you’ve ever met. A hundred rules, follow the book, always with that duty and honor nonsense. Whenever someone broke one of his million rules, he’d force the whole platoon to dig two-cubic-meter ice blocks out with hand tools.”</p><p>Ruby laughed as she recalled those days.</p><p>“No reason! No reason at all, just chill out in a freezer for a few hours until you can’t feel your hands anymore just to dig up a big chunk of ice and dump it by the warehouse. Before long, we we’re building our very own Giant’s Causeway.”</p><p>She briefly chuckled before memories of that night flashed in her mind.</p><p>“One night, the rebels attacked out of nowhere. They managed to slip past our sensors and blew our base apart. Fire, and ice. Some sectors had been blown out into the vacuum. They hit our reactor, our hangar, our barracks. Lots of good soldiers died that night.</p><p>But there he was. He wasn’t like the other COs who fled to the bunkers. He stayed behind to search for his platoon during the attack. Alone, just his envirosuit and an old pistol. Heh, probably couldn’t fit those brass balls into a power armor. He’d even brought an SOS beacon and called for immediate evac on our position.</p><p>…Ten hours, pinned in our destroyed barracks, watching rebel ships swarm overhead. They must have been searching for something because they never came looking for us, but we couldn’t leave. Johnson stood guard all night, telling us it was gonna be all right. Some people had ripped envirosuits and lost limbs to exposure. Others had ruptured tanks and had to share air. Not all of us made it.”</p><p>…<em>Where’s this coming from? Why am I telling a stranger my tragic backstory?</em></p><p>“Reinforcements didn’t arrive till morning. Our fighters stormed the skies but the rebels didn’t back down. Determined to fight to the last man. We rushed to the evac ships ducking under enemy fire, and the bastard kept fighting. He stood his ground trying to cover his platoon, making sure every last one made it to safety before he got on board. The last I ever saw of old Johnson was him shooting his pistol into the distance, enemy bolts soaring past, standing on the ice amidst the steam and smoke. Like something out of a movie. Heh, crazy son of a bitch.</p><p>If I ever met him again, first thing I’d do is sock him in his chiseled face for all those ice blocks. Second thing I’d do is thank him. Lastly, I’d invite him for a round of beers.</p><p>Wonder where he is today.”</p><p>
  <em>…Damn. Must have really needed to get that out of my system.</em>
</p><p>Reeves had listened closely as the Elite Guard recounted her experiences. She sat quietly for a few moments before responding.</p><p>“I’m sorry for my previous behavior, Agent. I know I can be…difficult, and these circumstances are stressful, but that’s no excuse for how I acted. You’ve been nothing but helpful all this time, and you really saved our lives back at the Hospital. If it weren’t for you, I don’t think we could have made it. Most people here at the Base tend to look down on us simple engineers and technicians, but…</p><p>Thank you.”</p><p>“You’re welcome.”</p><p>“…Are they really demons?”</p><p>“I’m afraid so.”</p><p>“I heard the rumors. Everyone knew Mars contained some interdimensional breach, and that weird things were happening here. The blockade, the industrial-military jurisdiction, Phobos quarantined, Deimos gone. We knew about the monsters, figuring they were just experiments gone wrong. But then we saw Dr. Pierce’s broadcast, the Wave hit, and I saw what it did to people. How they…</p><p>The rumors were true. They really do come from the other side.”</p><p>Ruby sighed and stood up, relogging onto the terminal.</p><p>“I think the living need not concern themselves with ‘the other side’. And we’re still living, aren’t we? Cheer up, Amanda. Fight’s not over yet.”</p><p>The engineer’s posture seemed to relax, if only a bit.</p><p>“I’m scared. Everything’s happening so quickly and I don’t know what’s going on. It feels like something big’s coming. Something evil.</p><p>Something we don’t stand a chance against.”</p><p>Ruby stopped typing on the computer to face the engineer.</p><p>“Amanda, listen. I’m going get you out of here. You're going to see your mother again, and you'll tell her everything you have to. I promise.”</p><p>Reeves said nothing after that, turning to blankly face the wall.</p><p>Meanwhile, Ruby continued to track the demonic forces amassing at the Argent Tower. Legions from every direction snaked towards the sector, no doubt swarming to open the gate to their world and stop whoever was trying to shut it down.</p><p>CATEGORY THREE INTERDIMENSIONAL BREACH IN T – 4 MINUTES</p><p>
  <em>Good luck, whoever you are.</em>
</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>SO MANY DEMONS! WHY WERE THERE SO MANY?!</p><p>The Marine leapt from one rooftop to another as he shot rocket after rocket at the charging horde. Imps and Lost Souls chased after him as possessed soldiers fired their weapons from the ground. Thanks to his Rampage, the Marine managed to stay ahead the horde and their attacks but the clock kept ticking. He still had one last filter to shut down. With the dust storm blowing harder than ever he was forced to rely on his Clearsight, which in turn drew the legions advancing onto the Tower towards him instead.</p><p>He threw grenades behind while dropping mines at his feet. He reached the rooftop edge and jumped towards a cargo crane as he noticed a Hell Knight far below throwing fireballs at him. He switched to his plasma cutter and charged a shot before firing it at the Hell Knight’s shoulder, slicing the arm off at the bone. Still soaring, the Marine caught onto the crane and pulled it to topple the entire structure on top of the disarmed Hell Knight, shooting his assault rifle while riding the collapsing crane. Forty tons of steel crushed the Hell Knight into a bloody pulp as the Marine leapt off and broke his fall on a Razer’s back.</p><p>Without stopping, he leapt onto a container suspended from another crane and fired his jump pack to reach another rooftop. A dark imp hot on his trail prepared to throw a homing blue fireball. The Marine jumped into the air as he spun, fleetingly lined the sights for a precision bolt, and blew the demon’s brains out before setting foot on the ground again and continuing without ever slowing down.</p><p>The rooftop edge was approaching. The Marine braced, leapt for the next building…and missed. The opposing rooftop was too far away and he fell towards a solid wall. Crashing through concrete and metal alike, the Marine hit the ground running and lobbed grenades within the building as he ran for a stairway headed upwards. A zombie scientist idly stood on the staircase with its back to the Marine. In a split second, the Marine brandished his chainsaw and passed through the zombie with it, bisecting it from skull to groin as he rushed by and collecting its gushing tissues to restock munitions.</p><p>Reaching the opposite wall, the Marine kept running and smashed through it, falling past a psionic emitter mounted on the exterior facility wall. Curiously, the emitter was transmitting the frequencies from the Praetor Suit’s Resonators, and he saw the chasing horde roil and thrash as they passed the emitter, forgetting the Marine as they furiously shred the speaker to pieces.</p><p>Of course! He had synchronized his Resonators to the Facility relay terminal, and the frequencies his Suit produced were disruptive to demonic minds! The Marine brought up the Suit link and pushed the volume sliders to full capacity.</p><p>At once, external emitters throughout the Facility erupted in a discordant cacophony of rancorous noise. It was too rough to be called ‘music.’ Too raw, too aggressive, too heavy, it was more like pure violence made sound.</p><p>The horde shrieked and flailed in agony as the pulsing waves hammered through their flesh and bone. Many dispersed into the canyon below or back towards the Tower, still crackling with power, while the rest continued after him.</p><p>It was more than enough.</p><p>Switching to his combat shotgun, the Marine shred the last few imps and Lost Souls with well-aimed shrapnel shots.</p><p>Fiery waves of Argent energy, broad and sharp as swords, sliced through the air by the Marine, missing him by hair’s breadth. A Summoner floated on the ground below launching hellishly fast attacks at him. He equipped the rocket launcher and fired a blast at the demon, which wisped away in a stream of flame and appeared again on the rooftop in front of him. The Summoner raised its hand as the Marine shot another rocket, which harmlessly exploded against a clear blue shield the demon raised around itself.</p><p>The Marine did NOT have time for this.</p><p>He leapt at the svelte demon and passed through its shield. The creature slashed at him and he blocked the attack with his Bracer, and even though the Summoner resisted the power surge, he immediately pulverized it with the super shotgun as it faltered.</p><p>
  <em>BOOM!</em>
</p><p>Something erupted through the ground at his feet, knocking him off the roof, and he crashed hard through a building before steading himself, cleaving a trough through the Martian soil as he faced his attacker.</p><p>It was a metallic Hell Knight. It bore steel plates grafted on its skin, thick robotic legs, and a UAC chaingun instead of a right hand.</p><p>Not only were these people capturing demons, they were enhancing them as well. His rage surged as he considered the implications.</p><p>The Marine rushed away as the cyberknight spun up its chaingun. He ducked under a storm of lead attempting to put distance between himself and the cybernetic monstrosity.</p><p>He equipped his rocket launcher again and fired a rocket at the creature, which darted out of its path and rushed after him.</p><p>Great, it was faster too.</p><p>He switched to the heavy assault rifle and returned his own fire, but to his surprise the cyberknight raised its left arm and caught the rounds in a runic shield projected from its hand. The Marine rushed out of the way before the demon launched the suspended bullets back at him. He held out his own left hand and launched a stun bomb at the cyberknight, which winced and groaned as the electricity coursed through its metallic body. The Marine switched back to the rocket launcher. Three rockets hit their mark and blasted large chunks of its armor and flesh off but the monster remained standing. It quickly righted itself and charged at the Marine. He took to the air again and leapt onto a rooftop to gain space.</p><p>The cyberknight couldn’t fire its chaingun on the move but it could still throw fireballs from its normal hand, fast and keen like tank shells. The Marine caught sight of a long cable hanging from a transport crane as lightning flashed through the storm above. He jumped through the air and caught the cable in his free hand, swinging around to kick the pouncing cyberknight off the roof. He swung off the chain as a bolt of Argent lightning descended on him, and raising his Bracer he caught the bolt in his fist. The grounded cyberknight only saw a flash of red light before the Marine brought his crackling fist down on its chest, and the monster exploded in a shower of flesh and metal as the released energy vaporized other nearby demons.</p><p>A distant rumbling brought his attention to the Tower. The vortex had grown larger and threatened to erupt as the energy kept accumulating. It was a matter of minutes now, but the horde was still too numerous. He needed something, anything to buy him time. With the demons still after him, the Marine brought up his automap as he scanned the environment for any resource he could use to his advantage.</p><p>There! A small fuel depot by the Facility outskirts, but how could he…There were still a number of security gates throughout the installation. Unopened security gates. The Marine had an idea.</p><p>He equipped his combat shotgun and headed towards the last energy filter. He stormed through the Facility until the marker appeared in sight, activating his stored Personal Teleporter and launching the circular beacon at the gate.</p><p>TELEPORTER BEACON DEPLOYED</p><p>The Marine then turned away towards the dispersed security gates. He reached one, a locked blue door guarding a vehicle hangar, and smashed through it. An alarm began to ring and demonic portals appeared around him, but the Marine continued onto the next gate. He crashed through the wall and broke through to another locked gate, this time yellow, and smashed through it as well. Another alarm rung and the horde chasing after the Marine grew even thicker. He shot several shrapnel blasts at the mob behind him to take out the nearest pursuers.</p><p>There was one more gate, a red one leading into a hydroponics compound, and he smashed through that one too. The sound of sirens faded behind the Marine, but the horde chasing after him remained deep and dark as night. He headed for the fuel depot.</p><p>With such numbers on his trail, the Marine found it difficult to avoid all their attacks. Railgun bolts and fireballs nicked him as rockets exploded at his heels. His ARMOR was gone and his HEALTH ticked worryingly low.</p><p>“…AAAAAA…”</p><p>This had to be a joke.</p><p>Headless kamikaze charged from the direction of the depot straight at him. He fired one shrapnel shot after another to clear them out of his path, staying clear of the explosions as their bodies burst into hellish flames.</p><p>Those weren’t even supposed to be here!</p><p>The fuel reservoirs loomed up ahead. The Marine soared onto the adjacent building rooftop, ran for the edge, and…</p><p>Jumped off.</p><p>The horde leapt after him, claws outstretched and teeth bared.</p><p>The Marine spun in the air as he fell towards the tank, extending a middle finger at the horde with a small metal ring hanging on it. Too late did the demons notice the grenade arcing down towards the fuel reservoirs. The Marine then vanished in a burst of particles, reappearing on the other side of the Facility where he’d thrown the teleporter beacon.</p><p>The explosion flashed on the horizon to rival even the brightness of the blazing Argent Tower.</p><p>26 HEALTH. Plenty to spare.</p><p>He broke into the installation and hurried towards the final filter, which was mounted in front of a large window to the Argent Tower.</p><p>
  <em>“If stopping our energy production is what you want, then you need only destroy this last filter and Argent Energy will no longer exist in this solar system. We will be back at square one.”</em>
</p><p>The Marine approached the machine, taking a moment to admire the advanced and ingenious design before facing the Tower, which stood like an evil spear on the horizon. The cutting edge with which the UAC would pierce the heavens and strike down their enemies.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Our orders were clear. Secure this sector.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Sarge, these people are civilians! They’re clean!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I SAY WHO’S CLEAN AND WHO ISN’T!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The year was 2035. He and four other Space Marines had dropped behind insurgent lines aboard Prime Station, Earth’s oldest and largest orbital colony. They’d been scouting an urban sector when they found a group of civilians, tattered and bloodied, holed up in a bombed building. However, their platoon leader, a grizzled sergeant by the name of Mahonin, wasn’t buying it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Have you marines forgotten that we are at war at this very moment? At war against an enemy that would like nothing more than to crawl into our bedrooms and slit our throats as we sleep? An enemy that could be hiding in plain sight!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“So let’s arrest them!” Yelled one of the soldiers, a young man still burdened with idealism. “Let’s cuff them and take them back to base! Have the law sort out who’s friendly and who’s a spy! We don’t have orders to kill innocent people!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Mahonin stared at the man, his maroon eyes piercing through the soldier’s visor.</em>
</p><p><em>“We have orders to secure this sector. By </em>any. Means. Necessary.</p><p>
  <em>We kill them all.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>God will sort them out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But we will send them to Him.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The captives cowered as they heard those words. The distressed soldier bent over and shook his head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I can’t do this. This is wrong.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sergeant grabbed the kid by his shoulders and pushed him to the wall.</em>
</p><p><em>“THAT WAS A DIRECT ORDER! YOU </em>WILL <em>OBEY A DIRECT ORDER FROM YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER! INSUBORDINATION IS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH! I WILL SHOOT YOU MYSELF, DAMN IT, IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY!”</em></p><p>
  <em>The sergeant dropped the man and turned to another of the soldiers standing at guard.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You are soldiers, is that correct?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes, Sarge,” replied a stern woman’s voice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sergeant continued onto the next marine.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“And good soldiers follow orders. Is that correct?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes, Sarge,” came the man’s reply.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Mahonin walked up to the Marine.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“That means you know, what you have to do. Is that correct?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Fight evil. Wherever and however it may appear.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Marine nodded in agreement.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Mahonin’s gaze remained intense but he appeared satisfied. He strode towards the kid, who’d since picked himself off the ground.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You will follow, any and all orders you receive. Is that correct?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The young soldier hesitated, but heavily nodded.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes. Sergeant.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Good. In formation, marines.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The civilians exclaimed in terror. The squadron formed a semicircle around them, pinning them against the wall. Mahonin moved behind the squad, making sure all his soldiers followed orders.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Marine stared at the captives. The sergeant was entirely right. For all they knew, all of them could be insurgent spies. Even the children, wide eyed in their innocence and hiding behind their parents, might have carried sensitive data or equipment across the border. Perhaps even bombs, hidden inside the toy soldier the young boy carried. A young fair-haired boy with imploring hazel eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Marine sighed. He was going to regret this.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Ready!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The soldiers gripped their weapons and so did he. He reached for his back and grabbed his sidearm, an old double-barreled shotgun. The others had likely closed their eyes behind their visors, that way they wouldn’t see their victims’ faces as they died. The Marine didn’t. He needed to see.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Aim!”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Fire.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The last filter exploded.</p><p>Much like Mahonin’s head did.</p><p>The Marine remembered it all. He remembered Mahonin’s look of steeled determination fade into ghastly shock as the Marine aimed his shotgun squarely at the sergeant’s face.</p><p>The weight of the shotgun, the resistance of the trigger, the recoil of the blast.</p><p>Metal, glass, and luminous plasma glinted in the air, hitting the facility window and falling to the floor.</p><p>Bone, blood, and brain matter spewed out in an almost aesthetic manner. One of Mahonin’s eyeballs burst into clear fluid, the other flew back with the force of the blast. The remaining bottom half of his head was a sloughy mess of bloody cavities, his exposed tongue flopping limply. The rest landed amongst the rubble and debris, staining the ground a dark red. After a moment of pause, the sergeant’s body fell to its knees and landed face-down with a heavy <em>thud</em>.</p><p>The energy beaming from the Argent Tower flickered down and the vortex dissipated into the surrounding atmosphere. The Marine holstered his super shotgun onto his shoulder.</p><p>Everyone had been quiet. The other marines slowly lowered their weapons attempting to process what happened. The civilians looked on in horror, disgust, even relief. The young boy was gazing intently at the blood spurting from the stump where the sergeant’s head had once been. He probably was scarred for life.</p><p>Tough shit.</p><p>He gestured the captives to get the hell out of there. They did, and his fellow marines watched them flee before turning to face him. That was going to be a long night.</p><p>“<em>You have no idea what you have just done,” </em>growled Hayden in a low, furious tone.</p><p>Wrong again. He knew exactly what he had done now, as he did all those years ago.</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Olivia is still alive. I've detected her life signature in the Argent Tower. She has disengaged one of the accumulators from the tower base and may use it to open a portal manually into Hell The connection to their dimension remains viable. We are at great risk, Doctor Hayden.&gt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Where is she now, VEGA?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;I’m tracking the accumulator. She has passed the Tower midpoint and will reach the peak in ten minutes.&gt;</em>
</p><p>“<em>Well,” </em>Hayden spoke dejectedly, “<em>that’s it then. There’s nothing else to be done.”</em></p><p>The Marine gauged the distance to the Argent Tower. It was about a kilometer away, with the peak another kilometer above the ground.</p><p>Ten minutes to cross two kilometers of densely infested demon territory?</p><p>He’d be there in nine.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>I tramped resolutely yet cautiously across the forest of spines, keeping an eye on the grim Abherrant drearily striding in the distance. I kept my bronze dagger stored at my side, figuring my new spell would be more useful in that claustrophobic environment.</p><p>“<em>John, I’m picking something up.</em>”</p><p>“What is it, Colonel?”</p><p>“<em>A stable channel in the local chaostream. A portal, ten o’clock.”</em></p><p>I headed in that direction, taking clear notice of the shadow that rushed behind a spine.</p><p>“Will that take me back to somewhere civilized?”</p><p>“<em>Negative, soldier. Hell has…how to put it, tough security. Tall spiked fence all around the edge, keeping the big critters in. Good news for us honest people in our humble universe, bad news for the poor soul who ends up on the other side.</em></p><p>
  <em>Fortunately for you, old fences tend to have the odd crack, big enough to let the sharp-eyed bug through. And I think I know of one that’ll drop you close to home. That’s your ticket out of here.”</em>
</p><p>Chittering noises echoed close by, and I readied myself for a confrontation.</p><p>“Won’t stop me from meeting other bugs along the way, I suppose?”</p><p>“<em>Can’t have it all, soldier. Just be thankful you landed in the shallows with the minnows. The sharks can get rather big out in the open sea.”</em></p><p>
  <em>What’s with the metaphors?</em>
</p><p>The figures crawled out of the shadows. They were horrible to look at: slimy tentacles, spikes piercing through their callous hide, a mass of dark gelatinous eyes, black fangs long and sharp like knives. Each one was as big as me.</p><p>“Can’t imagine what the sharks are like.”</p><p>I was surrounded. I spun my flak cannons in anticipation and held my hands at the ready, which erupted in ghostly yellow flames.</p><p>“Come on, come on, come on,” I whispered. “Come and get me, you sons of bitches.”</p><p>One of the creatures screeched at me, the sound like claws scratching on glass. I returned the challenge.</p><p>“RRRAAAHHH!”</p><p>The beast pounced at me. I punched it aside and tore it to shreds with blasts from my flak cannons.</p><p>The mob attacked and I released a wave of blazing Hellfire that spread throughout the clearing, noticing the spell consume some of the energy pooled within me. I shot at the beasts as they thrashed in flaming agony. Something roared within the forest. Something big.</p><p>I left the dying monsters behind and ran towards my destination.</p><p>“Colonel! How much farther to the portal?!”</p><p>“<em>Just up ahead! But hurry! It won’t stay open forever!”</em></p><p>“Roger that!”</p><p>Montrous beasts leapt at me from the shadows. I ducked under their claws and shot at the ones standing in my way. I could hear the spines behind me crack and break as something smashed through them, and the ground began to quake.</p><p>“<em>John!</em>”</p><p>There was a great heaving lurch, and something incredibly large soared over me and landed on the ground in front, breaking through the thick and sharp spines like mere twigs. I skidded to a halt as I caught sight of bulging muscles and a gaping maw with countless needle-like teeth before a giant clawed hand slashed at me. I dashed out of the way and used my jump pack to soar over the spines. I hit the monster with a Flame Wave, which roared as the fire engulfed its body.</p><p>
  <em>The energy’s almost gone. This spell must have limited uses.</em>
</p><p>The creature extended its split jaw and launched a mass of spiked tentacles from its throat. I ducked before they harpooned me and ran between the spines, hearing other tentacles stab into the ground behind me.</p><p>“ShitshitSHITSHITSHIT!”</p><p>The monster charged through the spines towards me, and I looked back in terror as it raised its hand and-</p><p>
  <em>Eeee…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What the hell is that noise?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>BOOM!</em>
</p><p>A bright flash of blue light descended from above and struck the monster, leaving behind a charred skeleton that crumbled to the floor.</p><p>A pitch-black warship descended through the cloud cover, brutal and ruthless in presence, with a sound more dreadful than the deepest thunder. It looked similar to the ship I had escaped from.</p><p>Standing below it, however, I was truly able to behold its terrible majesty. It must have been at least…five kilometers in length, perhaps more. Not even the UAC’s megacruisers were that size. Its shape was of a long flat spearhead, completely absent of any exterior features like cannons, sensors, even windows. There were no symbols or blazonry on its hull, which appeared made from the blackest and roughest rock. Definitely not human and definitely not friendly.</p><p>I heard the Abherrant bellow in the distance, dreary but with a chilling tone of malevolent rage. The Abherrant began to charge at the ship, moving terrifyingly quick and impossibly quiet despite its size. As I watched, the forest of spines began to quiver, like quills on the back of a…</p><p>
  <em>What am I standing on?</em>
</p><p>There was a tumultuous maelstrom of arcane energy swirling up ahead in a flat clearing, but the whirlpool seemed to be dissipating away.</p><p>
  <em>That must be the portal! It’s closing!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Go! Just go!”</em>
</p><p>I ran for the vortex as fast as I could, hearing the Abherrant roar and the ship prepare to fire again.</p><p>“…<em>OOOOOOHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>
  <em>Eeee…</em>
</p><p>“AAAAAAHHHHHH!!”</p><p>An explosion shook the world behind me and I passed into the portal.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>“Are you seeing this?”</p><p>“The Argent Tower. It’s…powering down…”</p><p>The third and final energy filter had been destroyed, along with Mars’s Argent production, but the Tower was shutting down. An interdimensional breach was avoided, at least for the moment.</p><p>Ruby brought up the security feed from the Argent Facility.</p><p>“You’re shittin’ me.”</p><p>It looked like a warzone. The Facility was charred and devastated, marked with the signs of intense battle. Bullet holes riddled the walls, craters smoked on the ground, building walls were blown out. The fuel depot was <em>gone</em>.</p><p>And the corpses!</p><p>The facility was littered with the ravaged corpses of countless demons. Zombies, imps, soldiers, Hell Razers. Limbs and heads lay strewn about their dismembered bodies, and it seemed every available surface was splattered with thick black blood. As much as Ruby tried, she could not see the body of anything that might have been responsible for such destruction. There was the occasional human corpse but those were workers or lone guards, intact and clearly dead from the initial attack.</p><p>
  <em>Is that…A DAMN DECAPITATED SUMMONER? I know demons will sometimes kill each other, but what the hell could kill a Summoner like that? The one time one of those bastards managed to exfiltrate here, Dr. Hayden himself ordered it nuked from orbit. I can’t even pronounce the type of payload they used.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But something just casually chopped the head off of it?</em>
</p><p>The feed to the last filter was still functional. She brought it up and rewound the recording to the time of the filter’s destruction.</p><p>Ruby pressed her gaze to the monitor, making sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her.</p><p>
  <em>God have mercy.</em>
</p><p>“Taylor!”</p><p>Ruby turned to face the sound. Romero and the others were racing down the wall towards them.</p><p>“You made it!”</p><p>The three men hurried into the room, and Ruby clapped Rogers on the shoulder.</p><p>“Well done, lieutenant. Good to see you all in one piece.”</p><p>“Agent. What’s going on?”</p><p>“You’re not gonna believe this,” Ruby said as she approached the terminal. “The outer sectors of the Base, including this mine, are completely clear. The enemy has moved away from us and is amassing at the Argent Tower.”</p><p>“The Tower was being overloaded less than a minute ago,” Reeves spoke up. “It’s been shut down, but those things are still swarming there.”</p><p>“Correct.”</p><p>“Wait, what?” Rogers puzzledly asked. “The Tower…overloaded? Shut down? Why? Who the hell would do that?”</p><p>“Beats me,” Ruby replied honestly. “But now that the enemy has moved, that buys us some time and opens up other routes. I was considering taking a rover to the Spaceport, directly across the surface to circumvent the infested facilities, but now that those are clear we only have the lockdown to worry about.</p><p>There’s a working transport shuttle docked at the Helix Labs, about a click west of here. We’ll cross through the Argent extraction station next door to reach it, then we’ll man that shuttle and fly it straight to the Spaceport!”</p><p>“Extraction sites are awfully dangerous, Agent.” Harrison commented in concern. “Raw Argent plasma is exceedingly volatile, not to mention radioactive. Humans are not meant to be present in those facilities, particularly not during emergencies.”</p><p>“This whole Base is already a deathtrap, Christopher. Difference is, Argent plasma won’t hunt us down and bite our heads off. Besides, Helix contains the only viable shuttle in the entire sector, and we don’t know if the enemy will stay at the Tower. We have no choice.”</p><p>Romero sighed. “How far are we from that Spaceport?”</p><p>“Twenty clicks.”</p><p>“Twenty clicks of cold and poisonous Martian wasteland.”</p><p>Ruby nodded.</p><p>“Even unmanned facilities are designed to accommodate people.” Romero added. “If things go south, we’re better off within the Base rather than outside it.”</p><p>“Helix is a Level Three restricted installation. Do we have clearance into the labs?” Rogers hesitantly asked.</p><p>Ruby grinned.</p><p>“You’re looking at her.”</p><p>Romero was convinced. “I say we go for it. Ms. Reeves?”</p><p>“Works for me.”</p><p>“Lieutenant?”</p><p>“If you think we can pull it off, let’s do it.”</p><p>“Mr. Harrison?”</p><p>“Uggh, I’m too old to get cancer from radiation poisoning. Fine.”</p><p>“Right on. Ms. Reeves? Take us there.”</p><p>“Copy that.”</p><p>The team proceeded towards the facility exit, and Ruby began to follow before she slowed to a halt and looked back to face the monitors.</p><p>Somewhere out there was a Tower that had been seconds away from tearing a hole into a dimension of unfathomable power and horror, and somewhere out there was someone that had managed to stop it. Someone that was very much alive. Alive and slaughtering every demon in their path.</p><p>
  <em>If it’s really you…I just hope you’re on our side.</em>
</p><p>*          *          *</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Perdition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“It’s clear that the Argenta settlements discovered in Hell were off-world colonies lost early in their civilization’s history, but some data is certain. All citizens were arduously trained from childhood in the arts of combat and sorcery, essential for defense against the constant danger of demonic assaults that plagued them since their earliest days. The best fighters were conscripted to the armies of Night Sentinels while the best sorcerers became Warpers, both vital not only to the Argenta military but their society as well. Records indicate the Argenta worshipped three beings known as the Wraiths, primal beasts native to their homeworld of Argent D’Nur, extremely powerful and extremely dangerous. The Wraiths were infused with a great elemental energy which was harnessed by the Argenta to fuel their technology and magic. Through blade and ritual, the Argenta fended off the Wraiths’ attacks and pacified their rage while wielding their energy to vanquish all demonic threats. They even used this energy to power giant piloted mechs called Atlans. The Argenta credit the Wraiths with the origin of their homeworld’s biosphere, including the mighty dragon-like Ancestrals and even themselves, but it’s difficult to distinguish fact from myth in this regard. Argent D’Nur was a theological stratocracy where only the strongest warrior was fit to rule as sovereign king or queen, but the wisest Warpers served as spiritual leaders in the Order of the Deag, comprised of three Priests who tended to the Wraiths. The current location and fate of Argent D’Nur remains unknown.”</em>
</p><p>- UAC Report File ‘Argent D’Nur” 2/2; dated 2104</p><p> </p><p>I vaguely remembered what it was like to travel through a teleporter. A flash of blue light, a <em>woosh</em>, and I’d instantly appear on the other side. No fuss, no hassle, easier than taking the elevator.</p><p>Traveling through a rift in Hell’s reality was nothing like using a teleporter.</p><p>It felt as if my whole body – limbs, innards, brain – was being pulled and stretched simultaneously in a dozen different directions. Up, down, back, forth, in, out, and other directions I couldn’t even imagine, all shifting and twisting at the same time. It wasn’t painful, at least I didn’t associate it with traumatic agony, but I was filled with an endless and just as excruciating sensation of vertigo. As if some…higher thing had attached a bungee cord (a cosmic string?) to my guts and was pulling all of me along through higher dimensions. I couldn’t understand it, much less describe it.</p><p>I soared past grand and terrible vistas that seemed as near as they were far. Twisted towers hanging from the fangs of a colossal skull. Great and horrifying shapes fighting each other on gnarled landscapes, crumbling the very mountains in their wake. An oscillating sky of fiery fractals that I too late realized was a single giant eye staring at me. I felt unbelievably tiny and helpless in its gaze, but to my immense disbelief, I safely flew past the eye and put it behind me.</p><p>Was it too far away? Or was I not worth the trouble? I would have shuddered had I not been screaming in terror, but I could hardly hear my voice over the deafening sounds of chaos.</p><p>“AAAAAAHHHHHH!!”</p><p>And just like that it was over. It probably hadn’t lasted so long but to me it felt like forever. I’d landed on some hard surface and squirmed on the ground as I gathered my bearings, focusing on keep my innards inside and trying to stop the world from spinning. I was half-convinced my brain would start dripping out my ears at any moment.</p><p>Did I still have innards? …And a brain?</p><p>Groaning, I heavily picked myself up as I tried to clear my head. My ears were ringing and my eyes still ached after the sensory assault they’d been subjected to.</p><p>Now I understood why the UAC used those creepy robots to explore Hell. My upgrades must be something similar. No human could ever survive this cursed realm, let alone come back.</p><p>One did.</p><p>Really? Who was it? I…can’t remember.</p><p>Wait, robots? Explore…Hell…they sent people here? How did I know that? And who had-</p><p>I saw a single eye, a long vertical strip of light at the center of a smooth metallic face, flash into my memory. The face was pitch-black, and the eye was a bright glaring red. My blood instantly turned to ice.</p><p>“<em>John, you still operational?</em>”</p><p>I gasped. I’d completely forgotten about Colonel Johnson after that experience.</p><p>“C-Colonel! Yes! Reporting!”</p><p>“<em>Keep your voice down, you idiot! Your systems are scrambled eggs and I’m still trying to get a lock on you! Where in Hell are you?</em>”</p><p>Where- WHERE THE DEVIL AM I?!</p><p>I anxiously spun around to scan my surroundings for any possible threats but stopped moments later when I spotted the shape in the distance.</p><p>
  
</p><p>It was a Tree. A colossal and emaciated Tree that towered high above the horizon. It was tall, and pale. The palest thing I could have ever imagined. It cast no light, but its sheer paleness seemed blinding in the darkness of Hell. My eyes were glued to it, unable to move away from its terrible splendor. It was simultaneously the most beautiful and most horrifying sight I’d ever laid my eyes upon.</p><p>And I could hear it speaking to me.</p><p>“<em>-dier! Soldier, report! What’s your status?!”</em></p><p>“…u-uh, status!”</p><p>With great effort I tore my eyes off the Tree to survey my environment. It was too dark to see clearly – and being in Hell I guessed I would have to get used to that – but besides the Tree could spot nothing else on that unbroken rocky landscape. The sky was a dim turquoise color, almost like a thick haze that diffused what little sickly light shone through. I caught a brief glimpse of majestic forms in the sky behind the Tree, like dark pyramids that cast the landscape in their shadow. It seemed to me like they circled around the Tree, almost as if in adoration. Their mere countenance filled my heart with overwhelming dread. I forced my gaze away from them and stared at the barren ground. This was a place I was not supposed to witness. A place I was not supposed to be in.</p><p>Standing in this cursed world, I still had that feeling of corruption – like I was inside a nuclear reactor, being bombarded with radiation that turned by body to ash – but unlike the dark ship and forest of spines I’d escaped from, this new location was eerily empty.</p><p>And quiet. I could hear absolutely nothing, not even the faintest whisper of a breeze upon those rocks. The paleness of the Tree came into focus.</p><p>This was a place of death.</p><p>“<em>Soldier!”</em></p><p>“I’m…I’m on flat terrain! No enemies or landmarks in sight! Only thing I see is a tall white Tree!”</p><p>“<em>…My God.”</em></p><p>“Colonel?”</p><p>Johnson sighed. “<em>Looks like you have no choice.”</em></p><p>“…This Tree isn’t going to eat me, is it?”</p><p>“<em>Not everything in Hell has teeth and claws, soldier. Some things are dangerous in much more subtle ways.</em>”</p><p>“Sir?”</p><p>“<em>Look, head towards the Tree and start climbing. If you can reach the branchtips, you might be able to make use of the situation. If not…let’s hope you don’t lose yourself.”</em></p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The Marine blazed across the Martian surface at tremendous speed, raising a thick trail of dust in his wake, racing towards the slender Argent Tower that loomed ahead like a knife against the dark blue of the evening Martian sky. </p><p>
  
</p><p>The atmosphere remained hazy but with the energy vortex above the Tower gone, the sandstorm was blowing away. He rushed down a dilapidated highway on which dozens of wrecked transport vehicles lay motionlessly, their passengers still and silent in their seats. The highway leading up to the Tower and its surrounding infrastructure was clear of enemies and the Marine could see why.</p><p>The Tower’s whole exterior and base was teeming with the claws and teeth of thousands of demons from all over the planet. The Marine could see Razers, Hell Knights, and zombies of every kind patrolling the outer platforms while imps and Lost Souls guarded the vertical surfaces. It seemed there was hardly a spot on the twelve-hundred-meter-tall Tower that was not occupied by a demon.</p><p>They had planned this. It wouldn’t be long before Pierce reached the Tower peak, and the horde was too thick to make the shorter route of climbing the exterior a viable option. The Marine would have to enter the Tower.</p><p>He frowned as he entered a stretch of highway that crossed a deep chasm in the surface, a portion of the bridge crumbled to the canyon below.</p><p>Why was the Base built on top of this wretched canyon system?! Better question: why did the Fracture appear here of all places?! WHO CREATED THE DAMN FRACTURE?!</p><p>The Marine would have yelled in frustration as he soared over the gap in the bridge, but he didn’t. He couldn’t. He merely leapt over the collapsed portion of the bridge and equipped his rocket launcher as he approached the outermost of the demons’ forces.</p><p>But his rage was building; the fire escalated within his blood and the waveforms generated by his Resonators became more intense. If need be, he might be able to go Berserk for the final confrontation.</p><p>Three hundred meters to the Tower.</p><p><em>BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! </em>He cleared a path through the horde and rushed through before the flying gibs even landed on the concrete. He dodged and strafed out of the way of a hundred projectiles, fireballs, rail bolts, and rockets. A Hell Knight leapt over the crowd with fire in its claws and fury in its eyes. The Marine threw a stun bomb at the monster and launched two rockets as he charged at it before brandishing his chainsaw and cutting the demon in two. The Hell Knight’s blood and tissues trailed behind him as the Praetor Suit siphoned them to restore munitions.</p><p>Two hundred meters to the Tower.</p><p>“AAAAAAHHHHHH…”</p><p>The Marine switched to his EMG and charged a power shot before releasing it at the ground in front of the headless kamikaze. The charging demon was thrown back by the force of the blast and into a squad of possessed soldiers, exploding and killing them all.</p><p>The demons on the lower exterior of the Tower crawled down from its steeled surface and charged at the Marine in a thick black wave of claws and teeth.</p><p>One hundred meters.</p><p>The Marine put the gun away and held his right hand back as he began focusing power into it. He sped up and Rampaged across the mob, effortlessly breaking through shell and bone as his fist crackled with scarlet energy.</p><p>Zero meters.</p><p>
  <em>POWW!</em>
</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>ARGENT EXTRACTION SITE 32</p><p>WARNING: VOLATILE ARGENT PLASMA PRESENT</p><p>ENTRY IS RESTRICTED TO ALL PERSONNEL BELOW LEVEL 2</p><p>Ruby warily glanced at the danger signs as the team walked across the extraction site. It was an exterior sector located next to the mine they’d just exited, albeit less spacious with the industrial facilities needed to siphon and transport the effervescent Argent plasma.</p><p>Ruby took the lead along with Harrison, confident he would lead the group along a safe route through the hazardous sector, and even though the elderly scientist hadn’t stated it, it was clear he was on edge. And so was she. She knew this part of the Base was clear of demons, but she had never entered an extraction site before, and she was wary of the unfamiliar equipment and machineries. A thin red fog swirled lazily at their feet.</p><p>
  <em>PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW!</em>
</p><p>In a split second Ruby had spun around and raised her pulse rifle. The engineer was shooting her HAR at a support pillar, the rounds glancing off the thick metal.</p><p>“CONTACT!” Rogers shouted in alarm.</p><p>The entire group aimed their weapons in alert, except for Harrison who crouched behind the trained personnel, but it was apparent that Reeves was shooting at nothing.</p><p>“Reeves!” Rogers yelled. “REEVES! STOP!”</p><p>The lieutenant grabbed the engineer’s hand and pried it off the trigger.</p><p>“Just what in Hell’s name do you think you’re doing?!”</p><p>“Something moved! It hid behind the pillar!”</p><p>“We’re in a damn automated sector! Of course something is going to be moving!”</p><p>“I know what I saw! It was one of those things, snarling at me!”</p><p>“Damn it, Reeves! You said it yourself, this part of the Base is clear of enemies! Get a hold of yourse-!”</p><p>“CONTACT!”</p><p>Romero dropped to his knees and aimed his vortex rifle, peering through the X-Glass scope. He panned the rifle left and right, but suddenly raised his gaze in a posture suggesting puzzlement.</p><p>The lieutenant’s contempt was clear in his voice.</p><p>“Are you losing your marbles too, mercenary?”</p><p>“Something’s scrambling my X-Glass. The feed’s all distorted.”</p><p>Ruby, who’d been silently observing the group’s exchanges, spoke up.</p><p>“Let me see your rifle, Hiro.”</p><p>The gunslinger passed his weapon to Ruby, who synced her visor to the rifle’s scope. Sure enough, what appeared in her visor was not the transparent monochromatic landscape particular to an X-Glass, but a chaotic field of hectic runes. She forced herself to keep her composure as her blood ran cold.</p><p>“Christopher,” she nonchalantly said as she returned the vortex rifle to its owner, “what’s happening here?”</p><p>The scientist said nothing.</p><p>“Christopher?”</p><p>“…I…I…I don’t know.”</p><p>The scientist was lying, but Ruby could tell that it was out of fear rather than malice.</p><p>
  <em>Well, whatever it is, it hasn’t attacked yet. There’s no reason why there should still be any demons in this sector, and if we start panicking for no reason, we’ll all die anyway.</em>
</p><p>“Well,” she said to the group, “I’m thoroughly convinced extraction sites are spooky. But let’s not lose our heads here, all right? We still have a ways to go till Helix, so let’s stay focused and keep moving forward.”</p><p>“Agent?” Harrison fearfully spoke up. “Perhaps it might be best if we turned around. Attempt to find another route to the Labs. I’m sure it wouldn’t take so long.”</p><p>“This site offers the shortest route to the Labs, Christopher. We continue as planned.”</p><p>The scientist said nothing after that but Ruby could tell he was unconvinced. But that didn’t matter. They had to get off the planet as soon as possible.</p><p>“And, Amanda? Next time you see something that might be a threat, yell ‘contact’ before you start shooting.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>I had reached the base of the pale Tree and had started climbing it. Only once against it could I begin to fathom its size. It was huge, almost like a skyscraper.</p><p>
  <em>How am I ever going to reach the top?</em>
</p><p>The trunk was not a smooth vertical surface but rather riddled with rough outcrops and deep recesses, which through my jump pack I used to gradually scale the towering Tree.</p><p>The Tree.</p><p>The Tree.</p><p>…<em>could he be demon-kin, spawned from the loin of a grotesque infidel?...</em></p><p>Ugh. These whispers that filled my head, these thoughts, they were not my own. But they wouldn’t stop.</p><p>The Tree was somehow forcing itself into my mind. I knew it. Its presence filled my eyes, its power induced the pervading silence. I needed to get my mind off of it or I would lose it.</p><p>As Colonel Johnson said I would.</p><p>…<em>yet, the seal of the heretic binds him. His origin is as dark as his coming-</em></p><p><em>I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO </em>HE <em>IS!</em></p><p>“Colonel, you copy?”</p><p>“<em>Loud and clear, soldier. What’s the matter?”</em></p><p>“That warship, that dark spear one back there, what was that?”</p><p>“<em>Not a clue in the world.”</em></p><p>“…What about the original ship I escaped from? There were others like me hanging from racks, you guided me out of there. And those figures and monsters I fought off, what were they? Were they UAC? Or something else?”</p><p>“<em>They were hostiles, soldier. Unfriendlies. I did what I had to do: get you out.”</em></p><p>I climbed into a particularly deep hollow in the Tree’s trunk and prepared to jet over to the next one when I heard a soft chittering behind me. I quickly spun around and only briefly saw something pale and spindly leap at me before I reflexively fired my flak cannon and blew it to pieces. I cautiously leaned over to peer at the thing, a white spider-like creature oozing pale green fluid and its thin legs still twitching. It was larger than any spider I’d ever seen, the size of both my hands put together.</p><p>“<em>John, you alright?”</em></p><p>“I’m fine. Just a local, by the looks of it. I’m guessing there’s gonna be more of these as I climb the Tree, but they don’t seem too dangerous. Not yet, anyway.</p><p>That dark ship,” I said as I jetted to the next recess, “there’s no way it could have been man-made. I remember the UAC’s biggest cruisers, and they were nowhere near that size. Or shape. Was that ship built by demons? Are there…civilizations here?”</p><p>Johnson sighed. “<em>There are more things in Hell and Earth, John, than are dreamt of in our philosophy.”</em></p><p><em>A simple yes or no would suffice,</em> I cynically thought as I prepared myself for the oncoming sermon<em>. </em></p><p>
  <em>“We know that Hell is a realm of eternal consumption. What it doesn’t destroy, it assimilates and corrupts. Makes demonic. I remember that some Hell beasts were actually once mortal creatures native to our universe, which were assimilated into Hell one way or another. Ironic, first extraterrestrial life from our universe we ever meet is in another dimension, and covered in pentagrams, at that. Shit, I think the science quacks’ latest theory is that Pinkies are actually Hellified Earth boars! Demon pigs! Can you believe it?!”</em>
</p><p>I fired my jump pack and leapt for next recess.</p><p>“But those are just savage beasts. Pretty much zombies. They don’t think or act on their own, just take orders from their higher-ups and bite at anything living they find.</p><p>But there are higher powers here. The Hell Knights, and Summoners. Those are pretty strong, they’re native to Hell, and I doubt they’re the top of the demons’ food chain. Is there anything here that can build a ship? That <em>would </em>build a ship? Either Hellified aliens or…something else?”</p><p>“…<em>The company believes that intelligent Infernal agencies DO exist, but we’ve yet to discover any.”</em></p><p>I spotted a faint red glow on the lowest on the Tree’s branches, not too far from my position. In absence of any other visual cue, I climbed in that direction, switching my guns back to missile launchers as I spotted more spiders emerge from hollows in the Tree’s trunk.</p><p>“I just…didn’t expect there to be civilizations here. I thought Hell was just a barren wasteland inhabited by powerful but savage monsters. But if there was a ship here, who built it? Who was flying it? Where do they come from? And what do they want with me?”</p><p>The Colonel did not respond, and the silence was punctuated only by my missiles blasting the spiders into oozing pieces of shell that fell to the distant ground below. I decided to drop the subject.</p><p>
  <em>“We’ve discovered abandoned fortresses within Hell, clearly not built by mortals but some native Infernal agency. We know that because their architecture incorporates Hell’s metaphysics rather than our universe’s. And we have no idea who built them. It may have been a sapient race of demons that has since gone extinct, or perhaps they were driven out by some event. Fled to some dark unexplored pit of Hell. Now those fortresses are only inhabited by wild demonic beasts. Perhaps they are the descendants of that former civilization. Who knows? Maybe they’re the ones that destroyed it.”</em>
</p><p>Colonel Johnson’s revelation stunned me, and I shuddered as the implications flooded my mind.</p><p>“They did exist. They must still.”</p><p>I had climbed to right underneath the Tree branch, a thick white log as wide as a house. I ran to the edge of the trunk hollow in which I stood and fired my jump pack to the most of its capacity. I just barely managed to grab the branch by one hand, struggling to pick myself up. As I hoisted myself onto the edge, I looked up to find a multitude of pale spiders crawling towards me. I had opened fire before I even stood up.</p><p>
  <em>“Maybe. But if they still exist, we haven’t recovered any evidence of such. The majority of Scout Bots we send never come back. And apart from Dr. Hayden, no human has returned either.”</em>
</p><p>Hayden. That name…the chairman of the UAC?</p><p>He’s the one that came to Hell and returned?</p><p>I spotted the red glow further out on the branch. I shot my way through a growing multitude of pale spiders as I ran in that direction. From a distance away I noticed the glow originated from within the scorched skeleton of some great beast, some horned creature with a huge many-jawed maw and two stumpy arms but no legs. Something small and flaming rose from the skeleton as I approached – <em>is that a…horned skull? – </em>before flying into my outstretched hand. I grit my teeth as the totem’s power surged into my system before turning around to unleash my new spell, ready to cast the burning skull in my hand.</p><p>“If he returned, then so will I.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The Marine blasted through several meters of steel and concrete, carving a path through the Tower exterior.</p><p>He broke into a large central chamber that spanned throughout the Tower’s whole base, the space completely taken up with facilities and huge machineries centered on the red beam of skyward Argent energy that crackled in the Tower’s core.</p><p>The Marine spotted high-speed elevators and even teleporter pods all around the chamber’s structure but these had been deactivated, no doubt by Pierce to slow his advance. He’d have to find some other way to reach the peak.</p><p>Something screeched above him, and the Marine looked up to see a pack of winged imps crawling on the suspended machinery towards him. The crowd outside the Tower hadn’t followed him but clearly there were already demons inside.</p><p>He switched to his assault rifle as he rushed towards the elevated circular platform surrounding the Argent beam, headed towards an observation deck directly behind it. The flying imps swarmed through the air, baring their teeth and throwing fireballs at him, but he had already opened fire. <em>PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW! </em>The pack of imps crashed to the floor in bloody heaps.</p><p>Taking note of the possessed soldiers between him and the deck, the Marine switched to his combat shotgun and loaded a shrapnel shot as he jumped onto the elevated platform. <em>BANG! BANG! BANG! </em>Bits of flesh and guts splattered across the gleaming steel chamber. One surviving dark imp dared to pounce at the Marine; he snatched it out of the air and threw it directly into the crackling beam. A screech, a sizzle, and a fine red mist were all that remained.</p><p>The Marine prepared to leap onto the top of the observation deck before noticing the map station and firearm inside. The tell-tale roar of a Hell Knight echoed behind him. The map would be useful to quickly reach the top of the Tower.</p><p>With pounding footsteps behind him, the Marine crashed through the thick glass of the observation deck, tapped the map station’s download prompt and with the same fluid move picked up the gleaming black weapon from a guard’s corpse.</p><p>AUTO-SHOTGUN ACQUIRED</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – SHELLS</p><p>PRIMARY F-</p><p>Yeah, yeah, yeah.</p><p>The Marine turned around and unloaded fully automatic buckshot directly at the Hell Knight’s chest, practically melting the demon’s torso in a matter of seconds and stopping the monster in its tracks with the force of the blasts alone. The ravaged demon’s body hadn’t even hit the ground before the Marine crashed through the deck’s roof and dug his hands and feet into the Tower wall, taking strong leaps to rapidly ascend the sheer vertical surface.</p><p>Something howled nearby. Out of the corner of his eye, the Marine spotted a pack of Lost Souls charging at him. But these were larger than normal Lost Souls, their flames a deep red, their horns dark and gnarled. Terrors. These Lost Soul variants didn’t maul their prey, they exploded. Continuing to climb upwards, the Marine leapt across the vertical surfaces and walls while raining fire on the Terrors, shooting down the closest ones while dodging the rest’s suicidal charges.</p><p>After quickly glancing at his automap the Marine leapt onto a large service platform that bridged the Tower base to its main processing center, on the other side of a thick ceiling. The platform was covered in zombies and Razers which had already set their sights on him. His rage surging, the Marine equipped his phase rifle and opened fire on the nearest demons as he Rampaged through the mob. There was no time to waste; Pierce was seven minutes away from reaching the Tower peak and he still had another eight hundred meters to climb, no doubt past stronger demons still.</p><p><em>ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP POW! </em>Several zombies popped in electric surges while a Razer was functionally vaporized with a heat blast. The Marine blazed towards the small service hatch on the ceiling which led to the main Tower core.</p><p>He calculated his trajectory, focused a Blood Punch, and jumped.</p><p>
  <em>POWW!</em>
</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>“Looks like a pool of condensed Argent plasma.”</p><p>The group of survivors stood silently before what could only be described as a pond of red, faintly luminous mist collected on the floor of the Extraction Site. The mist lapped and rippled slightly with the light Martian wind, but otherwise lay still between the steel machineries.</p><p>
  <em>Must be some kind of leak nearby.</em>
</p><p>“Everyone stand back,” Ruby said as she primed her pulse rifle. “I need to test something out. Make sure you’re not stepping in the pool.”</p><p>The group warily stepped back as Ruby took aim.</p><p>
  <em>Here goes nothing…I hope.</em>
</p><p>After briefest hesitation, she pulled the trigger.</p><p>The single plasmoid she fired vanished surreptitiously into the mist, which briefly glowed at the point of impact but otherwise disappeared uneventfully.</p><p>Ruby let out the breath she was holding in before stepping into the mist.</p><p>“Let’s go.”</p><p>“Agent!” Harrison suddenly yelled at Ruby. “I strongly object to this path, and urgently insist we find some other way to reach our destination!”</p><p>Ruby turned in exasperation towards the scientist.</p><p>“What’s the matter, Christopher?”</p><p>“That’s raw Argent plasma you’re stepping in! It is most unpredictable! We have no idea how it might react!”</p><p>“I just shot it with a pulse rifle, Christopher. Didn’t blow up, did it?”</p><p>“Might I be able to convince you that we perhaps <em>circumvent </em>these installations? That rover idea you had sounds most appeali-”</p><p>Rogers interrupted. “I’m getting sick of your whining, old man! Shut up and move or I’ll-”</p><p>“You know what, soldier?!” Romero decisively spoke up. “I myself am growing tired of YOUR shit! You’re becoming downright insufferable and now you’re pushing this poor old man around?!”</p><p>
  <em>Oh, not this again.</em>
</p><p>“Back off, you damn-”</p><p>“Rogers! Romero! Please! This is not the time! We have to keep moving!”</p><p>The gunslinger reproachfully glared at the lieutenant but backed off.</p><p>“Christopher, I understand your concern, but we do not have a single moment to spare. We don’t know how long the enemy will stay at the Argent Tower and leaving the relative security of this facility could mean death for all of us. Don’t worry about the radiation, I’ll organize first-class medical treatment for all of you when we get back to Earth.”</p><p>The scientist just shook his head.</p><p>“You don’t know what you’re walking into.”</p><p>Ruby briefly thought back on her past experiences. The Tethering Operations, the vivisections, the containment breaches, the human sacrifices…</p><p>She forced herself back to the present and gave up trying to convince Harrison.</p><p>“On the double, people.”</p><p>She had barely heard a single footstep behind her when the sound of gunfire snapped like thunder.</p><p>“CONTACT!” Reeves shouted in terror.</p><p>In a flash, Ruby spun around and raised her gun at the attacker. A transparent red shape was charging through the pooled plasma at them, its effervescent outline flowing through the air and the engineer’s bullets passing through-</p><p>
  <em>Wait, what?</em>
</p><p>The figure arrived at the group and swiped at Reeves. The engineer raised her arm in reflex, and the creature’s limb dissolved upon contact, the entire figure dissipating into swirling mist.</p><p>Reeves was unharmed.</p><p>
  <em>Huh?</em>
</p><p>Rogers turned his phase rifle to a point behind Ruby.</p><p>“ANOTHER ONE!”</p><p>The lieutenant opened fire on the charging entity. The stream of plasmoids hit their mark and halted the figure’s advance, but these disappeared on impact, and the creature faded into swirling mist.</p><p>
  <em>That means…</em>
</p><p>Several humanoid shapes roiled into being from the fog at the feet, but Ruby lowered her weapon.</p><p>”Everyone stand down!” She shouted. “I don’t think these are demons.”</p><p>The others continued desperately firing at the figures appearing around them, but quickly stopped when they realized they were not actually causing any harm. The shapes would close in, attempt to “slash” or “bite” at the survivors, and instantly dissolve when coming into contact, leaving not even the faintest scratch upon their quarry.</p><p>“Are…” Reeves cautiously poked at one of the figures, her hand passing clean through. “Are these…”</p><p>“Plasma.” Romero agreed. “Argent plasma, taking physical form.”</p><p>“…How is it doing this?”</p><p>The gunslinger puzzledly looked at the creature closest to him. It did not “attack” but stood docilely in front of him, tilting its head as if staring with curiosity.</p><p>“Wait a minute.”</p><p>Romero looked down at the weapon he was holding, and within moments the plasma in front of him changed shape to resemble the same exact vortex rifle the gunslinger held in his hands.</p><p>“Amazing. The plasma is reacting to us. Somehow it’s…taking the shape of whatever we’re thinking about.”</p><p>“That’s why it took the shape of the demons when we first set foot in it.” Rogers finished the train of thought. “Because that’s what was on our minds.”</p><p>A soft weeping sound turned the team’s attention to their rear. Harrison was on his knees, sobbing quietly within his helmet.</p><p>Romero moved to the elderly scientist’s side, resting a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>“I was a leading nuclear scientist on Earth for thirty years, a senior researcher in the Global Science Council. The UAC invited me, said my services would be invaluable to their research on Mars. But…Argent…”</p><p>Harrison wept quietly for a moment, and Romero looked up at Ruby in confusion. She puzzledly shrugged her shoulders.</p><p>The scientist then yelled as he shook his head.</p><p>“No one knows what Argent really is! Where it comes from! They say it’s from another dimension that operates under different principles, but it can’t be just that! It’s something more basic than universal vacuum energy, more fundamental! More primeval! It’s almost like…raw psychic energy! Information taken form!”</p><p>“Taylor,” Romero pressed Ruby. “He’s having a nervous breakdown. What should we do?”</p><p>“Rogers, did you pack any more sedatives into our bags?”</p><p>“I just found one syringe, Agent. It should be in your bag. We only have med packs after that.”</p><p>Ruby browsed in her bag as Harrison continued to ramble.</p><p>“My colleagues became obsessed with it! They were younger, thirstier, more ambitious! They kept babbling about spiritual energy field theory, how spirit exists in a higher realm than our material bodies! An abstract world of pure psychic potential, where minds are waves on the psychic sea! The Aether! They call it the Aether! Everything and nothing, all in one and all in none!”</p><p>Ruby found the syringe in a side pouch and quickly approached Harrison. She grabbed his arm, stuck the needle in a dedicated injection port on the wrist, and clicked the plunger.</p><p>“Reality is an illusion! Our universe is an illusion! Matter doesn’t exist! Energy doesn’t exist! There is only nothing, and weightless thoughts floating through the Aether! Empty space and vagrant thoughts! Empty space and vagrant thoughts. Empty space, and…vagrant…”</p><p>Harrison’s elevated pulse quickly coursed the sedative through his system, and within moments he was tranquil again.</p><p>“Hiro, can you help me carry him?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Romero put the languid scientist’s arm around his shoulder and hoisted him up.</p><p>“We’re running out of time,” Ruby reminded the group. “We need to get to Helix.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>I used the last of my spellcasting energy to cast one final burning skull at the dwindling spider horde. The skull hit its mark and exploded in a swell of flame, sending the charred survivors scuttling away into the Tree.</p><p>“<em>I think that’s the last of them.”</em></p><p>“Right-o. Let’s keep moving.”</p><p>“<em>Keep walking along this branch. You have to get to the ends.”</em></p><p>“Copy that.”</p><p>
  <em>This energy, it’s almost like mana, no? I think that’s what the resource used to cast spells is called. At least mine regenerates on its own.</em>
</p><p>I set off to reach the tip of the branch on which I stood. I wondered what I would find there. Leaves? Empty twigs? Or something else?</p><p>
  <em>Leaves? Stop being an idiot, John. If you’re climbing a big white Tree in Hell, you’re not gonna be there for the damn leaves.</em>
</p><p>“Hey, look at that.”</p><p>I spotted a clear red orb some distance away, growing out of the branch’s pale swirling surface like a bloody pustule.</p><p>“What is this, Colonel?” I asked as I walked up to the translucent sac.</p><p>“<em>The geeks call it blood sap. Apparently it’s a natural secretion from the Tree’s metabolic cycle.”</em></p><p>“Can I use it?”</p><p>“<em>Well, records show it boosts normal humans’ vitality and cognitive functions, at least for a time, but the side effects-”</em></p><p>I brought my foot down on the pustule and felt instant relief as the thick salve was absorbed by my chassis, mending the lesions I carried from the forest of spines.</p><p>“So, how do I use it? Is there a chemistry thesis I need to read? Maybe a cookbook? I don’t imagine they make this in <em>Hell’s Kitchen</em>?” I sneered, feeling better than ever.</p><p>“<em>Aren’t you funny.”</em></p><p>“Heh. Wait a minute, you said this sap is produced by the Tree’s metabolism,” I remarked as I continued forward. “What do you mean, metabo…”</p><p>“…<em>That.”</em></p><p>I stopped in awe – and horror – of the sight before me.</p><p>The Tree branch had begun to split into countless smaller limbs and dendrites, and upon these I could see countless creatures impaled upon the tips. Creatures of every shape and size, pierced by pale white tendrils that snaked throughout their bodies.</p><p>“Of…course,” I lowly groaned as I realized what I had just taken into my body.</p><p>As I looked closer, it almost seemed that these beings weren’t demons, although I imagined their grotesque shapes had been corrupted by Hell’s reality, but perhaps they were…aliens? Aliens from my universe? They didn’t seem as monstrous or horrendous as the other Hell beasts I had encountered, and I could see hints of green, gold, blue, vivid colors besides just black and red on their bodies and…tools. Some of them carried tools.</p><p>Maybe even weapons.</p><p>“<em>Gonna look for guns, right?”</em></p><p>“Affirmative.”</p><p>I meandered around the corpses, looking for any one that carried what might be firearms. The bodies were fascinating in their own way. I saw snake-like beings with thick armored shells, crystalline insectoids the size of people, figures which appeared like gleaming metallic sculptures, like steel shards fused to form a single creature. I took care to keep my distance, because I didn’t recognize the tools strewn around them, and figured they might just as well be bombs or traps.</p><p>I stopped in front of one creature which I thought could help me. It was a beige, somewhat humanoid entity with two legs, four arms, and a mass of tentacles trailing from its back. Four deep eye sockets stared from what I assumed was its mouthless head. However, what interested me was the object held in its…hands? Claws? Whatever. Long, sleek, and black, with a barrel and grip. I knew a gun when I saw one.</p><p>“Colonel, this here looks like a gun to me. But, there’s only one, and my chassis has two weapon rigs.”</p><p>“<em>Don’t worry about that, I’ll take care of it. Pick that up.”</em></p><p>I carefully stepped around the being’s trailing tentacles to approach it. I leaned over its gaunt frame and pried the weapon from its…<em>screw it, I’m calling them hands, </em>cringing as it dribbled thick slime from the creature’s body.</p><p>“Ugh. You got this, Colonel?”</p><p>“<em>Yeah. Just place it up to your gun platforms.”</em></p><p>I did just that and my chassis grabbed the gun out of my hands.</p><p>“<em>Hmm…all right. Just give me a minute here…So, you were right. This in fact IS a gun, and a decently strong one at that. Looks like a plasma autocannon that fired explosive armor-piercing rounds. However, because of the way your chassis is rigged, I have to split this gun into two separate components, which can fire either AP or explosive rounds but not both. Is that okay?”</em></p><p>Before I could even answer, Colonel Johnson cut me off.</p><p>“<em>That was a rhetorical question, by the way. That’s the way they’re going on, like it or not.”</em></p><p>I sighed in resignation, when suddenly I felt myself grow weak and my knees quiver. I landed hard on my hands and gaped as the world spun around me. The pale surface of the Tree took up my entire field of view, forcing itself into my mind…</p><p>
  <em>THE POWER HELD WITHIN THE CRUCIBLE WILL PUNISH MAN-BORN AND DEMON-KIN ALIKE. IT WILL CRUSH THE DIVIDE. IT WILL CORRUPT ALL REALMS. IT WILL CREATE THE MONSTER. IT MUST NEVER BE FOUND.</em>
</p><p>“AAAAHHHH!!!!”</p><p>“<em>John, I’m losing you! Your signature’s fading!”</em></p><p>“I’m okay, I’m okay,” I assured the Colonel as I gathered my bearings. “Ugggh. Just…had a lapse in composure.</p><p>I need to get out of here, Colonel. The Tree’s influence is getting stronger. Like it’s rooting inside my head. How much further till the branch tip?”</p><p>“<em>It’s not too far but hurry. Once the psychoactive symptoms appear, there’s no telling what the Tree might do to you.”</em></p><p>My mana was restored, but a niggle at the back of my mind urged me to grab my bronze spear. I pulled the knife from my side and flicked the switch, feeling satisfaction with the heft of the weapon in my hands.</p><p>“I’ve made it this far. I’m not going down just yet.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The Marine crashed through the hatch leading to the main Tower center and landed solidly on the floor.</p><p>“Remember, faithful advocates,” chirped a projection of the Spokeswoman. “The Argent Tower is our Triumphal Arch. It is the center of our universe. You must care for the Altar to our Faith with utmost reverence and devo-”</p><p>WHAT THE-</p><p>
  <em>BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!</em>
</p><p>The small holographic projector was no match for the sustained salvo of buckshot from the Marine’s autoshotgun, who kept firing long after the device was charred dust smeared on the facility floor.</p><p>What the hell had THAT been? That wasn’t vapid corporate drivel, that was something else. Altar? Faith? What exactly was the UAC up to?</p><p>The Marine continued upwards as he leapt across the great steel structures towards a focus in the Argent beam, a pitch-black sphere suspended at the center of the Tower surrounded by a scarlet halo. He noted more teleporters positioned throughout the chamber at regular intervals.</p><p>
  
</p><p>“HAAARRRGGGHHH!”</p><p>The Marine instantly froze on a narrow walkway leading up to the black sphere. He switched to his HAR and searched for the source of the sound.</p><p>“HAAARRRGGGHHH!”</p><p>That howl. He’d never actually heard it with his own ears. Only in visions. In nightmares. Vivid fever dreams within a padded white cell from a time long past.</p><p>Before he became what he was now.</p><p>“HAAARRRGGGHHH!”</p><p>The Marine could sense a presence within the chamber, but he could not track it.</p><p>…It was right on top of him.</p><p>The Marine rolled out of way before the imposing figure landing on him, and he whipped his HAR back around to retaliate against his attacker but stopped when he finally caught sight of it.</p><p>A skeletal human drawn to grotesque proportions, pale skin and bloody flesh torn free from its distended bones, the abdominal organs completely exposed and dripping down its legs. It stood head-and-shoulders above the Marine, bearing a UAC-branded jetpack with two shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, and two cloudy lidless eyeballs staring blindly deep within its bald skull. At its heart, the Marine sensed not the soul of a human, but a demon.</p><p>What had they done?</p><p>Most disturbingly, the creature was twitching. Shivering as if from cold, its gaunt limbs flailing from muscle spasms. As the Marine looked on, the creature grabbed the skin on its temples and tore it clean off its skull, violently shaking its head and releasing a blood-curdling screech as blood poured onto its harness.</p><p>“HEEEAAARRRGGGHHH!”</p><p>The Marine would burn the entire UAC to the ground.</p><p>His HEALTH remained at 26 from the intense battle at the Argent Facility, so acting quickly he brought up his Suit’s Dossier, dodging the burst of homing rockets from the demon’s shoulder launchers as he signaled the Power Engine to fabricate a Mega Charge.</p><p><em>Clang!</em> Both the Marine’s HEALTH and ARMOR instantly rocketed to 200, and his available Calibration Cycles dropped to five.</p><p>With restored HEALTH and ARMOR, he equipped his rocket launcher and fired a shot. The demon flared its jet thrusters and easily dodged the rocket.</p><p>The Marine swiftly backtracked and switched to the super shotgun. <em>BANG! BANG! BANG! </em>The explosive slugs faltered their mark and the Marine moved in for a close-range blast. The creature regained its composure and threw a swift fist at the Marine, who caught it in his left hand with a vicious grip. The demon threw the other fist, and he caught that one too. Firing up his jump pack, the Marine forced the creature down and delivered a forceful kick directly at the demon’s head, feeling a satisfying <em>crack </em>beneath his foot.</p><p>He kickflipped off of it and brought back his rocket launcher, tracking the stunned demon before pulling the trigger. The rocket hit its mark and blasted a chunk of the demon’s jetpack off.</p><p>Furious, the creature released an echoing roar into the air. The ring of deactivated teleporters whirred into operation and a horde of demons flooded the chamber. Imps, Razers, Hell Knights, and possessed soldiers with jump packs of their own. Unhindered, the Marine threw several grenades and proximity mines as he switched back to the HAR. The explosions rocked throughout the Tower and splattered the walls with demon blood, which the jetpack demon evaded by leaping into the air and hovering using its thrusters. He noted the surviving crowd managed to land several hits on him, but with such greatly elevated vitality the Marine was not concerned. A pair of laser sights shone from the creature’s launchers and fired a devastating barrage of rockets, which struck him and reduced his ARMOR to 156. He fired at the jetpack demon while charging a Blood Punch and releasing it unto a squad of possessed soldiers, eviscerating them and bringing his ARMOR up to 173.</p><p>Putting his HAR away, the Marine rushed beneath the creature and leapt up to it, firing his own jump pack and latching on to the demon. Once on it, he savagely tore at the creature’s jetpack, which in its confusion flew haphazardly to try and throw the Marine off, crashing into the Tower walls and machineries but the Marine’s grip was like iron and he would not be fazed by mere walls. With a single punch, one of the demon’s shoulder launchers was blown clean off.</p><p>He noted the creature’s trajectory would take it directly towards the black sphere at the center of the chamber, and unwilling to find out the effects of close proximity, the Marine jumped off the demon and swiftly switched to his rocket launcher before firing at a Hell Knight below, landing on the wounded monster and crushing its head with contemptuous disgust.</p><p>The jetpack demon indeed flew close to the black sphere in its aimless path and was electrocuted by its sinister aura of Argent energy, falling to the ground in a burning heap as its jetpack sparked and smoked.</p><p>Crashing hard on the ground, the creature picked itself up and stared with malignant hatred at the Marine.</p><p>“HAAARRRGGGHHH!”</p><p>With the last of its strength, the demon rose into the air and directed hellish energy into its hands, forming two large rifts on either side of itself. The Marine fired a rocket but it was too late. The ritual was complete, and two large floating demons appeared in the chamber. They were round and brick-red with spikes throughout their bodies, a gaping multi-jawed maw full of vicious fangs, short shriveled limbs that hung limply at their sides, and a single glaring green eye. The chamber became filled with a sickly sweet and pungent aroma. Cacodemons.</p><p>Great.</p><p>Firing a rocket into their midst and remotely detonating it, the Marine Rampaged towards the moribund jetpack demon. He switched to his super shotgun and destroyed its remaining launcher with a well-aimed explosive slug. The incapacitated creature rushed towards the Marine and tried to throw one last punch, but he blocked it with his Bracer and staggered the demon with the power surge. With the creature dropping to its knees, the Marine forced his hand into the demon’s jetpack and crushed its core. The malfunctioning device began to spin and flew the creature into a pack of imps, exploding and killing them all.</p><p>Furious at the present setback, the Marine set his sights on the two Cacodemons. He could have reached the Tower peak with the other demons alone, but Cacos were tough. Brute but savage scavengers of the Sloughlands and lesser Hellspawn of the Elder God Beelzebub, they’d never let him reach the peak if he didn’t kill them now.</p><p>Moving back to gain some space, he equipped his HAR and shot one Caco in its eye with a precision bolt. The monster faltered in brief blindness, and keeping one eye on the other Caco with its crackling maw, the Marine charged at a dark imp with chainsaw in hand. He stopped the creature with a stun bomb and drove the saw into its heart before slicing its head in two, collecting its gushing fluids to restock munitions.</p><p>A buzzing sound whirred behind the Marine and a flurry of lightning bolts, each as strong as that from a thunderstorm, pelted his back and reduced his ARMOR to 121. He whipped around and fired a rocket at the assailing Caco. He continued his attack with a barrage of plasmoids from his phase rifle and threw one final grenade directly into the demon’s open maw. The creature stood still for the briefest moment before exploding in spectacular fashion, drenching the floor below with thick blue blood.</p><p>The other Cacodemon floated lazily after the Marine but spit ball after ball of crackling blue lightning at him, which exploded on impact and blasted away at the walls of the Tower, eviscerating any lesser demons in their wake and chipping at his ARMOR. He equipped his combat shotgun and shot the monster with several shrapnel shots, faltering it and moving in with the auto shotgun. Cacodemons had a devastating bite which could slice through even Hell Knights with frightening ease, but that was a necessary risk as time was of the essence.</p><p>The Marine took aim and held the trigger down on the auto shotgun, blowing off great chunks of the Cacodemon’s hard hide to reveal the bloodstained bone beneath, and with a strong leap he jumped towards it. Through a barrage of buckshot the monster spotted him and opened its mouth to deliver a horrendous bite, but the Marine struck the creature with his Bracer and staggered it, forcing his fist through its eye and crushing the brain behind.</p><p>With the Cacodemons gone the Marine prepared to continue to the peak when he noticed a telltale arcane signature from below, where the corpse of the jetpack demon lay. A floating silvery object with an electrified surface. A runestone.</p><p>Moving quickly, he fell to the site of the corpse while dodging demon projectiles and passed his hand on the stone to absorb its power.</p><p>RUNE ACQUIRED – LETHAL FORCE</p><p>ALL DEMONS WILL PRODUCE SMALL EXPLOSION ON DEATH</p><p>EXPLOSION WILL NOT HARM SELF</p><p>With his rune-bearing capacity full, the Marine fired up his jump pack and climbed towards his destination.</p><p>&lt;<em>That jetpack demon you faced was a Revenant,</em>&gt; commented the talking computer, &lt;<em>one of the latest advancements in mass-produced synthdemons from the Lazarus Project.</em>&gt;</p><p>Revenants. That’s what the UAC called them.</p><p>The origin of the name was all too obvious.</p><p>&lt;<em>They are produced by continually exposing viable living human volunteers to critical doses of Lazarus waves, and upgrading their bodies with cybernetic components and weapon systems during the period of mutation.&gt;</em></p><p>He already knew that the UAC was experimenting on demons to augment their power, but now they were <em>intentionally </em>enabling human demonization? Fabricating inhuman abominations for the purpose of combat? On whom did they plan to unleash these creations on? The outer colonies? Other species throughout the universe? Earth?</p><p>Pierce was three minutes from reaching the Tower peak. The Marine blazed like a rocket across every available wall and surface as he soared upwards.</p><p>Olivia Pierce would die.</p><p>The UAC would pay for what they’d done.</p><p>Far beneath the Marine, a holographic projection of the Spokeswoman cheerfully preached into a bloodstained chamber.</p><p>“The road to Hell is paved – by Argent energy.</p><p>And remember: from within flows the power. The power must always flow. You have been warned.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>“We’re almost there, team. Just a bit further.”</p><p>The group of survivors was almost to the Helix Labs. The extraction site had suffered some damage from the initial attack and there were a number of Argent plasma leaks throughout the station, but so far the team had yet to come across other hazards or enemies.</p><p>But Ruby was anxious to leave the station as soon as possible. She did not trust the strange plasma at her feet and Harrison’s rambling had left her unnerved.</p><p>
  <em>Empty space and vagrant thoughts. Aether. Spiritual energy field theory. Guess the old man has really lost it. Wonder how much longer the others will last.</em>
</p><p>She looked back at the sedated scientist. His shotgun hung limply at his side and Romero still carried him on his shoulder. Ruby was just grateful that the gunslinger was as cooperative as he was.</p><p>“How about we take a minute, Taylor? Christopher’s getting a bit heavy.”</p><p>“…All right. But just one minute. We can make a proper stop at Helix.”</p><p>“Copy,” Romero groaned as he set Harrison down.</p><p>The others gathered round to sit and stretch their legs, but Ruby moved ahead to take a moment for herself and her thoughts. She didn’t notice the red pool of plasma in the clearing beyond the team’s position.</p><p>
  <em>I wonder if we can pass through Helix and the Spaceport. How are we getting off the planet? VEGA said Command was still active but that was more than an hour ago. Are both Hayden and Pierce still alive? What are they doing now?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…What is the Marine doing now?</em>
</p><p>She’d read the report. He’d been a United States Space Marine in the early twenty-first century, sentenced to life imprisonment on Mars for killing his commander. He would have been sentenced to death but a high-ranking colonel pleaded for his life.</p><p>
  <em>A family member, I think it was.</em>
</p><p>He spent eleven years in a maximum-security military prison in the UAC’s first Martian colony. When Mars lost contact with its moons in the Phobos Event, he and a squad of other incarcerated soldiers were sent to investigate. None returned and no one was ever found, except him. In a prison tomb in Hell a century later. Chained inside an enchanted stone sarcophagus. The expedition even brought back Hellish artifacts warning other demons to never let him escape.</p><p>
  <em>Just what the hell did the man do? What happened to him? And what will he do now?</em>
</p><p>A movement out of the corner of her eye brought her gaze up.</p><p>It was the Marine. At least an impression of him in the plasma, gliding across the pool leaving ethereal vapor in his wake.</p><p>
  <em>That armor. Almost man-made, but it’s not from Earth or even Argent D’Nur. Where did he get it from? Hell? Or somewhere else?</em>
</p><p>Gnarled figures in the shape of demons appeared in the plasma, which the Marine’s impression charged at and crushed beneath his fists.</p><p>
  <em>Where does his power come from? He does not fear the demons, the demons fear him. What drives him? What is the source of his strength? His motivation?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Duty? Faith? Glory? Justice?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Or perhaps revenge?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Can he survive?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Can he win?</em>
</p><p>“Who is that?”</p><p>
  <em>Oh shit.</em>
</p><p>The entire team had snuck up behind Ruby as she stood deep in thought, and they all arrived to the scene of the plasma Marine vanquishing a legion of plasma demons.</p><p>A scene that none of them had the clearance to witness.</p><p>
  <em>Well, if I’m not the most stupid…</em>
</p><p>“That.” Ruby stated at a loss for words. “That is…”</p><p>“That’s the Marineguy, isn’t it?” Reeves spoke up.</p><p>
  <em>Oh, I love you, Amanda.</em>
</p><p>“Marineguy?” Romero asked.</p><p>“It’s a company mascot that Marketing came up with,” Ruby enthusiastically finished. “An exemplary soldier of sorts, circulated as collectible figurines among the workers.”</p><p>“Yeah, the other guys in my unit liked to print their own designs,” Reeves commented. “I even made one myself, modeled after a mining engineer.”</p><p>“But, why is he killing the demons?” Rogers asked puzzledly.</p><p>Ruby thought carefully on her answer before responding.</p><p>“Because…he’s a good soldier. The very best.”</p><p>It wasn’t a lie.</p><p>“Eh,” Romero acknowledged half-heartedly. “Weird armor.”</p><p>“You should see your own.”</p><p>“Hey! Function over form, sister!” But the gunslinger was chuckling.</p><p> “Let’s go. The entrance to Helix is just a few minutes out.”</p><p>“Right behind you, Agent.”</p><p>Ruby took one last look at the Marine’s shape and set off towards the Labs, the others following in her steps.</p><p>Behind them, the impressions of the demons and Marine dwindled a few more moments before fading into nothing.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>I was approaching the end of the Tree branch. The smaller limbs forking off it grew narrower, and I could see faint white lights through the turquoise haze.</p><p>“<em>There! Those are the branchtips! Step on it!”</em></p><p>I picked up the pace and ran towards my destination. My journey here was almost done; I could finally leave this abominable Tree behind.</p><p>“HSSSSSS!”</p><p>I skidded to a halt as a bone-chilling hiss pierced the silence like a knife, and stared in terror as a giant pale spider emerged from its hiding spot on the Tree’s surface. I backed away in fear.</p><p>This one was huge, its legs alone as long as I was tall, dripping slime from its bulbous body and staring at me with a multitude of clear red eyes.</p><p>“HSSSSSS!”</p><p>“HSSSSSS!”</p><p>I spun around to witness a dozen other spiders closing in around me, and before long I was surrounded.</p><p>“Okay,” I muttered while spinning my new machine guns and raising my spear. “I suppose you fellas aren’t in the mood to talk this out?”</p><p>“HISSSSSS!” One of the spiders screeched as it swiped at me with a spiked leg.</p><p>“Neither am I.”</p><p>
  <em>POW POW POW POW POW POW!</em>
</p><p>A fury of crimson bolts erupted from my guns and ripped their way through the horde, piercing through the mass of shells and filling the air with green goo and severed limbs.</p><p>I fired my jump pack to dash between the spiders and stabbed at them with my spear. I thrust it into the soft underside of one and pulled it out through its head, cut down the legs of another and sunk it into its eyes, all the while firing my guns in every direction I heard a spider coming from.</p><p>The surviving spiders retreated further away but I knew they’d be back before long.</p><p>“<em>Hurry! Get to one of those branchtips and get off the Tree!”</em></p><p>I turned and rushed away to the nearest end of the branch, which as I approached was revealed to be a mass of thin swaying dendrites with glowing bulbs on the ends.</p><p>
  <em>Well, it’s not leaves.</em>
</p><p>“What do I do now?”</p><p>“<em>This is the tricky part. Grab one of those tendrils and place it onto your forehead.”</em></p><p>“I’m sorry, come again?”</p><p>“<em>Your head, soldier!”</em></p><p>“There is no way in Hell I am placing that thing on my head!”</p><p>“<em>You need to plug in to the Tree’s psychic network to open an exit portal! It’s the only way!”</em></p><p>“So I can end up like all those other types that the Tree was feeding on?!”</p><p>“<em>Do it! Do it now!”</em></p><p>“That’s a negative, Colonel!”</p><p>“<em>They’re coming back!”</em></p><p>Colonel Johnson was right. I could see a swarm of spiders – <em>well, that’s certainly more than a dozen </em>– crawling towards me from beyond the curve of the Tree branch.</p><p>There was no way I’d be able to kill all of them.</p><p>“Uggghhh…GOD DAMN IT!” I yelled as I grabbed the nearest tendril in hand.</p><p>“<em>Visualize an exit portal! Make it the one thought in your head and let it fill your mind! If you don’t, you could get lost in the collective mindscape of all the beings assimilated by the Tree!”</em></p><p>“Assimi…? Wait, you mean those creatures are still alive?!”</p><p>“<em>Do it now!”</em></p><p>I did as the Colonel commanded and forced the tendril onto my head, feeling it branch out into countless smaller dendrites that swarmed around me before everything went black.</p><p>
  <em>…a portal, a portal. I need to get off this Tree…</em>
</p><p>Black. Pure black, I floated in the empty nothingness.</p><p>…<em>a portal, a portal. Anywhere. Take me anywhere. But I need to get out of here…</em></p><p>I felt the presence of others nearby. Travelers like me. They yelled. Cried. Implored.</p><p>…<em>portal, portal, portal. I am imagining a portal. I. Me. I need to leave. I need to leave this place…</em></p><p>They’d been prisoners of the Tree for too long. They got lost, fell captive to its roots. Became trapped within their own bodies.</p><p>…<em>get out of here. I need to get out of here. Anywhere. Anywhere. Give me a portal…</em></p><p>They had homes. They had hopes and dreams. They had families.</p><p>…<em>families?...</em></p><p>Families. Families like nothing I’d ever seen before. Offspring, communities, nests, colonies, unity on a scale I could never imagine.</p><p>Golden locks, warm smile. Brown hair and a wide grin.</p><p>
  <em>My family.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“John, where are you?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My family.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Daddy, when are you coming home?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My family.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“John, please. I’m so alone…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Daddy, I’m scared!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“They’re coming in through the windows!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Daddy, they’re in our house!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“John!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Daddy!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Help!”</em>
</p><p>“NOOOOOO!!!”</p><p>I opened my eyes with burning fury and tore the cursed tendrils from my head. They split into more dendrites that swarmed over my body but I slashed at them with my spear.</p><p>“YOU WILL NOT HAVE MY FAMILY!!”</p><p>I poured all of my anger, all of my fear, all of my energy and mana into one last thrust. Without realizing it, the spear erupted in flame and sank into the Tree with a cold <em>shing, </em>sending a chill down my back.</p><p>At once the mass of tendrils shriveled away into ash as the Tree’s pale surface turned brown and bloodshot, as if it were rotting. The decay spread from the site of the spear’s laceration and out along the rest of the branch. The horde of spiders, which I’d completely forgotten about, stopped in their tracks and swarmed away into the shadows with terrifying speed. The hazy sky turned from turquoise to a sinister shade of red. I knew deep down that I had hopelessly and irreparably screwed up.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>DEMON.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“<em>John! A portal is forming!”</em></p><p>Sure enough, a whirlpool of energy began to form out towards the end of the branch, and a rift appeared in the center of the chaos. <em>Not another one, </em>I thought as I remembered the unpleasant passage I’d previously taken.</p><p>“<em>Look out!”</em></p><p>I heard a horrendous snapping sound from above, and I looked up to see a dreadful shape descending from the top of the Tree towards me, its colossal legs reaching across the Tree’s upper branches and casting it in their shadow.</p><p>
  <em>A giant hand?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No…a GIANT spider.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>On second thought, the rift isn’t really such a bad idea.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Time to go!”</em>
</p><p>“Agreed!”</p><p>I collapsed my spear and ran as fast as I could towards the portal, firing my jump pack to its full power as I raced to escape the terror above that drew nearer by the second.</p><p>
  <em>Why can’t I ever just make a normal exit?</em>
</p><p>The sky exploded with an ear-splitting roar as something crashed behind me and I leapt into the portal.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>&lt;<em>The Accumulator’s energy signature indicates that it is nearing the top of the Argent Tower.</em>&gt;</p><p>“<em>If she ruptures that accumulator near the Argent beam, she could open a portal to their world that we will NEVER be able to close!</em>”</p><p>Pierce was moments away from reaching the Tower peak, from where the refined Argent energy was beamed to the orbiting Martian Starport. The Marine raced across the last floor of the facility, Rampaging through every wall, every gate and demon in his path, when he heard Pierce’s indignant voice echo over the PA system.</p><p>“You cannot stop me from claiming what I am owed! What I was promised!”</p><p>The Marine’s blood blazed with scorching fury, the frequencies emanating from his Resonators warbling and trilling as the Praetor Suit struggled to keep him cognizant, his rage reaching critical mass and threatening to overtake his every rational thought.</p><p>He breached the control deck which opened unto the Argent beam beyond.</p><p>“This is not the end!” Yelled Pierce from behind the locked gate. “It is only…”</p><p>The Marine crashed through the thick metal and aimed his combat shotgun. Pierce had already primed the Argent accumulator, which crackled with scarlet lightning, and weakly limped backwards towards the beam.</p><p>“…the beginning!”</p><p>He pulled the trigger.</p><p>
  <em>CLANG!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>CRASH!</em>
</p><p>Something large landed heavily on the walkway between Pierce and the Marine, who winced as the slug he just fired was reflected back at him. 93 ARMOR.</p><p>The figure on the walkway rose to its feet. It was a Hell Knight, at least what appeared to be a variant of the Hell Knight species, but unlike any the Marine had ever seen before. Unlike normal Hell Knights or even the cyberknight he’d encountered at the Argent Facility, this one was entirely cybernetic. Its thick robotic legs ended with gnarled metal claws, its torso was shielded with broad plates of armor, its head a sinister robotic skull whose eyes shone red with infernal hatred. There was a missile launcher at the end of its right arm, and in its left arm the monster carried a shield bearing a glaring crimson eye in the center of a green triangular sigil. The Sigil of the Blasphemous One.</p><p>
  
</p><p>This monster was a Hell Paladin, one of a legion of elite Hell Knights that guarded important relics and locations in the nether world, which instantly raised the Marine’s alarms. He had never encountered a Paladin outside of Hell, and most worryingly, that meant that this one was not from the UAC. He had noticed immediately that its augmentations were forged from fellsteel, a powerful metal native to the Infernal Realm that the UAC would never be able to engineer. But Hell Paladins were empowered and commanded by high-ranking demon lords, and would never dare take an order from a human.</p><p>Someone from Hell had sent this Cyber Paladin here.</p><p>To protect Olivia Pierce as she forced open the Argent Fracture.</p><p>All this flashed through the Marine’s mind in the brief moment that he beheld the cybernetic demon as Olivia Pierce stepped into the Argent beam, raising the accumulator above her as an offering before vanishing in a thunderous explosion.</p><p>The Marine was thrown back with the force of the blast and he lost sight of the Cyber Paladin.</p><p>“Category Three interdimensional event detected,” spoke the automated facility voice as a writhing wave of demons swarmed into the arena from over the walls while even more began pouring through the rift forming around the beam.</p><p>“<em>The Fracture has been breached! You must leave the Tower at once!”</em></p><p>The Marine equipped his rocket launcher as he fell back from the horde. If he died now, the expanding rift would undoubtedly suck him directly into Hell.</p><p>He fired rocket after rocket while tossing grenades and proximity mines in every direction but to no avail. Zombies, imps, Razers, Hell Knights, and Revenants crawled over the walls while Cacodemons and other nightmarish monstrosities flowed from the central portal which widened by the second.</p><p>Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!</p><p>“Welcome to the UAC,” the Spokeswoman gleefully exclaimed nearby, “opening the gates of Hell with the key to the future.”</p><p>DAMN IT ALL!!!</p><p>In a flash of lightning the Marine gave in to his rage and became ablaze with scarlet flames. He’d gone Berserk.</p><p>“Category Four interdimensional event in ten, nine…”</p><p>He cracked a Razer’s shell like an egg, grabbed a Hell Knight’s head and ripped it clean off its shoulders, made a Revenant explode with a single blow, grabbed the side jaws of a Cacodemon and split the monster in two. Through repeated Blood Punches and the crowd of demons exploding on death through his Lethal Force rune, the Marine cleared a path to the Tower wall.</p><p>The ground shook at his feet and the world became tilted as the top of the Tower crumbled over its foundations, weakened by the explosion. The Marine fired his jump pack to avoid the Argent beam as it sliced across the sliding floor and rushed away to avoid being trapped within the collapsing Tower.</p><p>The corridor spun and threw endless demons against the walls, floor, and ceiling as appliances were thrown into the air. The Marine, still Berserk, Rampaged across these and every surface that crossed his path, breaking through and sliding across walls as he raced to reach the ground and put as much distance between himself and the Tower as quickly as possible.</p><p>Thinking fast, the Marine recoiled in excruciating fury and instantly released his remaining Berserk energy in a tremendous explosion that vaporized the shattered remains of the Tower’s peak around him, and he was back in open air.</p><p>
  <em>CRASH!</em>
</p><p>Something large struck the Marine as he fell down the Tower’s exterior. It was the Cyber Paladin which had clutched the Marine in a vice-like grip, bent on dragging him to Hell with it.</p><p>The Marine freed himself from the demon’s clutch and grabbed his assault rifle. <em>PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW! </em>The monster raised its shield and deflected the rounds back at the Marine, increasingly furious as they ticked away at his ARMOR.</p><p>He switched to the rocket launcher. <em>BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! </em>The rockets exploded against the shield but did no harm to it or the Paladin behind.</p><p>Clever thing. It had waited until after the he’d gone Berserk because it knew that neither it nor its worthless shield could survive the full power of the Marine’s unleashed rage.</p><p>He raised the launcher over the edge of the shield and pulled the trigger, detonating the rocket as it passed over the demon. <em>BOOM! </em>The Cyber Paladin was caught in the blast and faltered, lowering its shield.</p><p>The Marine fired his jump pack and closed the distance to the monster, latching onto it as the two remained in free-fall.</p><p>He struck left and right at the monster’s face, feeling the infernal metal dent with every successful blow. The demon fired at him with its missile launcher, the projectiles exploding against the Marine’s armor and beginning to eat into his HEALTH, but their splash damage and his Boiling Blood rune reciprocated that harm back unto the Paladin. The Marine noticed the armor over the creature’s heart begin to crack.</p><p>The creature raised its shield to the Marine’s next blow, blocking the strike and sending a burning wave of arcane energy back towards the Marine, who felt an unmistakable <em>crack </em>beneath his fist.</p><p>54 HEALTH.</p><p>The Marine focused power into a Blood Punch and brought it down onto the damned shield, shattering it in a flash of embers and breaking the Paladin’s arm off into a bloody spike.</p><p>22 HEALTH.</p><p>The demon roared in agony and thrust the spike into the Marine’s side.</p><p>0 HEALTH.</p><p>In his last moment of consciousness, the Marine thrust his hand through the Cyber Paladin’s armor and tore its heart out as the world erupted in red.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>“Whew! Everyone okay?” Ruby exclaimed as the airlock sealed behind the team and she refreshed her atmosphere supply, taking a deep breath of fresh air.</p><p>“I am a-okay,” replied Romero as he took his helmet off and lowered himself to the floor, bringing his backpack around and opening it.</p><p>“Copy that, Agent.”</p><p>“Amanda, you okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, I think so.”</p><p>“Christopher? Christopher?”</p><p>The dazed scientist was coming out of his sedated stupor.</p><p>“Uggh…my head…”</p><p>“Take it easy, you had a small episode back there,” assured Ruby as she lowered Harrison to a bench.</p><p>“My mouth is dry. I feel…ugh, what happened?”</p><p>“Well, what happened was we all made a stupid decision coming to Mars, but you most of all,” joked Ruby as she offered the elderly scientist a water bottle before standing up. “I hear the Global Science Council pays very well. And death-by-demons <em>isn’t </em>an occupational hazard there.</p><p>All right. Listen up, everyone. We’ve made it to Helix. Great job. The first thing we’re gonna do is rest and reload. Stretch your legs, drink plenty of water, grab a bite, but restock your guns and make sure your air tanks are full! Lieutenant, run an inventory check of all our supplies, and keep an eye on the civvies. Romero and I will-”</p><p>“Agent,” muttered the gunslinger as he gaped at a point above and behind her.</p><p>Ruby turned to where Romero and the rest of the team were staring at. On a ceiling-mounted display above them, Ruby could see live video feed of the Argent Tower from the adjacent Facility.</p><p>Or of what had once been the Argent Tower.</p><p>The entire structure blazed with infernal energy, scorching the surrounding region and even the atmosphere with crimson hellfire. A writhing black mass of claws and teeth – endless legions of demons as far as the eye could see – spread out through the ground and air to every direction of Mars’ surface. Radiating with a hellish halo, the image of the Tower was like a great evil eye, staring directly at the group of survivors.</p><p>ARGENT FRACTURE BREACHED</p><p>CATEGORY FOUR INTERDIMENSIONAL EVENT DETECTED</p><p>EVACUATE THE PLANET IMMEDIATELY</p><p>That could only mean one thing: the Marine had failed.</p><p>He was gone.</p><p>“What do we do now, Agent?”</p><p>Ruby looked over her shoulder towards her team, but she had no idea how to respond. She had no idea what to do.</p><p>
  <em>God help us all.</em>
</p><p>*          *          *</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Shores of Hell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“In the First Age, in the First Battle, when the shadows first lengthened, one stood.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Burned by the embers of Armageddon, his soul blistered by the fires of Hell and tainted beyond Ascension, he chose the path of perpetual torment.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In his ravenous hatred he found no peace; and with boiling blood he scoured the Umbral Plains seeking vengeance against the dark lords who had wronged him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He wore the crown of the Night Sentinels, and those that tasted the bite of his sword named him...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The DOOM SLAYER.”</em>
</p><p>- Excerpt from the Slayer’s Testament</p><p> </p><p>E1M6: The Shores of Hell</p><p>The Doom Slayer opened his eyes.</p><p>He found himself floating weightlessly in an abstract world of shadowed mountains, suspended in the midst of a sinister sanguine sky. Space and time as existed on Mars had ceased to exist. The light that shone in this world did not illuminate, and the mountains around him were not made of a rock that appeared on any mortal world.</p><p>The Slayer could sense the unmistakable nature of the reality he was now present in. It did not operate under the principles of his universe. Or any physical universe, for that matter.</p><p>The plane of existence he was present in was inconceivably more arcane.</p><p>More primeval.</p><p>Chaotic.</p><p>Home to powers beyond the comprehension of any mortal soul.</p><p>He was in an Immortal Realm.</p><p>He was in Hell.</p><p>FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!</p><p>A scorching inferno of savage fury ignited in the Slayer’s heart, overpowering his senses and filling his mind with blinding violence.</p><p>He willed a command unto the reality around him, and at once the formless world took the shape of a barren landscape at his feet, a dark ragged surface blotched with crimson veins. Feeling the sensation of ground beneath his feet, he blazed off with terrifying speed across the Hellscape searching for something to murder.</p><p>He did not care who or what it was.</p><p>He had died.</p><p>He had failed to stop Olivia Pierce from breaching the Fracture.</p><p>And now a Hellgate was fully open on Mars.</p><p>Something was going to die.</p><p>He sensed a presence some distance ahead, a demonic citadel populated with thousands of wretched beings.</p><p>A <em>lot </em>of somethings were going to die.</p><p>The Slayer swerved in the direction of the citadel with ravenous bloodlust coursing through his veins, crushing the ground with every step he took. He was rapidly approaching the citadel, located on the other side of a looming mountain that blocked his path.</p><p>Gritting his teeth with agonizing force as he sprinted even faster, the Slayer leapt into the air and smashed through the infernal mountain like a bullet through glass, sending great shards of rock and rubble flying like meteors.</p><p>The demonic fortress came into view. It was a despicable construct of dark and twisted metal like a mass of colossal sawblades, suspended in the hellish sky above the desolate wasteland.</p><p>At once, towering structures positioned around the citadel’s perimeter wailed in echoing alarm.</p><p>
  <em>HE IS HERE.</em>
</p><p>The citadel’s Hellstorm Pylons, great cycloptic entities bearing ocular cannons and Cyclone Railguns, entered combat mode and set their sights on the charging Slayer as the fortress clearly prepared for emergency evacuation, but the Slayer had chosen his prey.</p><p>Great bolts of lightning erupted from the Pylons’ eyes towards the Slayer as their railguns fired enormous crackling slugs the size of fighter ships, but the Slayer was faster still. He dodged and strafed his way through the hail of missiles as he stayed his course for the citadel.</p><p>The fortress was rising away from the landscape, and the rippling waves of spacetime indicated its dimensional engines were entering operation. In a few moments the entire fortress would vanish and the Slayer’s opportunity would be gone.</p><p>A massive slug of infernal metal soared towards the Slayer, but instead of dodging he slightly shifted his position and dug his hands into the shell as it passed, spinning on his heel and, after taking careful aim, slinging it back at the citadel with monstrous force.</p><p>The missile blasted through the fortress’s exterior and tore its way through its structure, destroying one of the whirring dimensional engines. The multitude of Pylons immediately ceased firing their railguns to focus on their ocular cannons, but it was too late. The Slayer grabbed one of the last rail bolts and sent it flying at the remaining dimensional engine, crippling the citadel and leaving it stranded with him and his scorching rage.</p><p>With the distance between him and the fortress drawing to a close, the Slayer leapt off from the wasteland with a powerful thrust that shattered the ground before tearing through the eye of a Hellstorm Pylon and smashing his way into the citadel.</p><p>The blinded Pylon released a thunderous metallic groan as it crashed through the outer wall of the fortress, falling upon the twisted structures and the many demonic inhabitants within, but the Slayer’s rampage had just begun.</p><p>The Slayer crashed through tower after tower, falling through countless levels of complex edifices built up, down, and sideways, brutally crushing every wretched thing he could get his hands on. The residents were short impish creatures that fled in his presence, and before long the Slayer was drenched in purple blood.</p><p>He crushed their skulls beneath his feet, thrust his hands into their bodies and pulled out mangled messes of shredded organs, ripped their limbs off and broke their backs on his knee.</p><p>His rage knew no limits, and he spared no mercy.</p><p>A series of roars in his vicinity drew his attention backwards. A pack of scarlet Blood Knights, with inscribed runes and burning talons, was headed right for him.</p><p>They raised their hands and shot blazing streams of Hellfire at the Slayer, but his carnage would not be stopped. He charged through the infernal flames while charging a Blood Punch and released it in the midst of the monsters, feeling cruel satisfaction as their bones cracked beneath his fist. The Blood Knights set great swathes of volume afire and launched exploding fireballs that ate away at his HEALTH, but he didn’t care. He released Blood Punch after Blood Punch directly unto the demons’ faces, sending their brains flying and absorbing their life force to replenish his HEALTH and ARMOR.</p><p>HE HATED BLOOD KNIGHTS!!</p><p>A howling screech echoed through the gnarled edifices before a lightning-fast shape crashed into the Slayer, picking him up and carrying him as it flew between the structures. It was a Shrike, a biomechanical pterosaur-like demon with smooth black skin and a sleek snout full of needle-like teeth, with which it currently tried to maul the Slayer with. The furious Slayer freed himself by breaking off the creature’s legs and climbed unto its back before savagely punching at the demon’s head. The creature shrieked in anguish and spun in a vain attempt to throw the Slayer off, dispelling a drove of jagged spines from its back and impaling the Slayer, but he punched the Shrike’s head open and ripped out its cerebral unit. He clambered over to the plunging demon’s wing and tore off one of its arm cannons, leaping off and taking aim for the other two Shrikes surreptitiously flanking him. He triggered the arm cannon and shot a howling beam at the nearest Shrike, which exploded in a flaming mess of melted flesh and metal. The remaining Shrike tried to fire its own beams at the Slayer, but even in free-fall he swerved behind an edifice and quickly returned fire, dispatching his last pursuer before the severed cannon ran out of energy.</p><p>HE HATED SHRIKES!!</p><p>Rapidly approaching the citadel core, the Slayer focused a Blood Punch and released it unto the thick ragged surface in his path, smashing through it and landing in a large spacious chamber filled with a multitude of demons, presumably the citadel court. The crowd swiftly dispersed in a discordant cacophony of screams and howls, but the Slayer turned his gaze towards the citadel ruler, a regal Summoner-class demon lord with flowing gown and an infernal halo suspended behind its disgusting head. It cowered in petrified terror as the Slayer charged with fire in his eyes.</p><p>HE HATED DEMONS!!</p><p>There was a flash of scarlet lightning and the Slayer went Berserk.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Bottomless wells of green sludge where unfortunate souls sank for eternity. Living mountains that devoured entire cities whole and turned fortresses to waste. Terrible, ghastly things snaking between the ruins of shattered worlds.</p><p>My soul quivered before the horrendous sights flashing before me. I closed my eyes in an effort to shut them out, but I could not shut out the harsh screams of madness.</p><p>The dreadful howling morphed into the sound of air rushing past me, and the nightmare was over. To my wary relief, silence washed over me and I landed on solid ground.</p><p>Had I eaten recently, I imagined I would have thrown up, but I managed to shakily bring myself to my knees with little trouble.</p><p>
  <em>I must be getting used to these Hell rifts.</em>
</p><p>“<em>How are you, soldier? Mission-capable?”</em></p><p>“Yeah, I think I’m okay.”</p><p>I looked around to survey my surroundings. I was in some sort of tall interior compound, the rough grey surfaces mottled with thin red growths, probably some kind of plant. The environment was surprisingly well-lit thanks to a pale light that descended from ceiling channels, far clearer than the previous locations I’d been in.</p><p>But there was a peculiar sensation in my chest. The atmosphere here was worryingly heavy, and I felt a low thrumming reverberate through the world. It wasn’t completely silent, but I couldn’t spot any enemies or other creatures in this enclosed environment. There was virtually no line-of-sight either.</p><p>
  <em>I’m sure I’ll find them later on. That’s how it always goes.</em>
</p><p>“<em>Just take deep breaths, stay cool. You got this. Keep your fingers on your triggers and…don’t forget to look twice before you cross, understood?”</em></p><p>“Copy that,” I whispered in response, switching to my Skullfire spell and priming my machine guns before taking a single step, stopping when I heard a squelching splash.</p><p>I slowly looked down to find myself stepping in a puddle of red liquid with sinews of floating masses. I turned to the grey walls and took a second look at the growths.</p><p>“Ohhh, God. It’s not plants.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The Doom Slayer lay on his back in the infernal wasteland, the sounds of the collapsing citadel rumbling around him as thunder echoed in the distance. The acts of destroying the fortress and massacring its inhabitants had provided enough catharsis to appease his rage, at least for the moment, and he felt merely upset now.</p><p>He stared blankly at the sanguine sky, taking a moment to collect his thoughts and analyze the situation.</p><p>He’d landed on The Shores of Hell, the outermost of Hell’s three spheres.</p><p>Obviously, since The Abyss was inaccessible from the Mortal Realm i.e. his universe, and Tartarus was…well, Tartarus.</p><p>Nothing got in. Nothing got out.</p><p>But that didn’t help at all. The Shores was the largest of Hell’s spheres, the one populated by consumed mortal worlds, their corrupted peoples, and most native demonic beings, intelligent or not.</p><p>And he didn’t recognize this particular region he’d landed in. Which was strange, considering the AGES he’d spent in Hell prior to being imprisoned. Many things must have changed in his absence. He could be anywhere.</p><p>Even more frustrating was that he had no way of returning to Mars…shit, he had no way of returning to his <em>universe </em>on his own!</p><p>The Praetor Suit had no interdimensional drive, meaning he’d have to hijack some other Hellgate just to return, and even then it might not drop him in 2149. ‘Time’ was a native quality of the Mortal Realm, it did not exist in higher planes of existence. Travel between the Mortal and Immortal Realms was simply not meant to happen. He could spend another eternity in Hell and arrive in Mars five minutes after he left, or he could take a magically-appearing portal at this very moment and arrive at the beginning of the Solar System…or its end. He could arrive to witness the origin of the universe and exist as a collection of fundamental particles for a couple millennia. Or arrive trillions of years in the future to a universe inhabited only by singularities and black dwarf stars.</p><p>Wouldn’t be the first time, either.</p><p>Of course, he could take the Fracture portal back to Mars and perhaps even 2149…</p><p>…<em>if he only knew where the other side of the Fracture portal was!</em></p><p>The Slayer’s heartbeat spiked with anger once more, and he focused on staying calm.</p><p>The Prime Barrier separating Hell from the rest of Creation still held. Prevented the exfiltration of even the greatest Infernal powers and, given the circumstances, himself. He might be able to exploit one of his old shortcuts through the Barrier, but again, he didn’t know his current whereabouts, and the nearest drop point he knew of to 2149 Mars was…</p><p>Ugh…</p><p>This was getting him nowhere! He didn’t want to spend another eternity jumping across worlds and realms to get back to some shithole planet he’d failed to keep his ass on just because of some bloody Cyber Paladin! Earth could become victim to a full-blown invasion in the time he was playing interdimensional hopscotch and getting shitcanned by mere Hell Knights! He needed to get back to Mars NOW!!!</p><p>He slammed his fist on the ground, paying no attention to the spreading crack that split the landscape in two.</p><p>A sudden wave of realization washed over the Slayer.</p><p>He might have been able to hijack the demonic citadel to determine his whereabouts and perhaps even use it for transportation, at least for the time being, had he not completely wrecked it.</p><p>That had probably been a poor decision.</p><p>A new sound appeared on the horizon. A long, harsh, desolate roar. Basilisks.</p><p>The Slayer sighed and sat up.</p><p>He might as well get a move on. Basilisks were tough and he was not in the mood to fight even one, especially not with 62 HEALTH. He groaned in irritation and picked himself up.</p><p>The Slayer headed deeper into the ruins of the demolished fortress. These constructs always had a Hive Nexus to coordinate their position, travel routes, local dangers and whatnot. If he was lucky and the Nexus wasn’t completely wrecked, he could boost his automap with that.</p><p>He brought up his automap as he scoured the citadel’s remains. The divination court. A communion hub. A charred sparking mess that had once been a dimensional engine, before a Cyclone rail bolt was thrown through it.</p><p>The Slayer cleared his throat and turned back to his map.</p><p>There! A map station icon appeared in his display and he raced to where indicated. Taking great leaps, he cleared a mountain of rubble until he reached a spacious chamber carved from polished stone. The Slayer hurried to the structure in the center, a pool of thick viscous fluid above which floated varying orbs of the same substance, growing, shrinking, and orbiting each other. He lightly poked the swirling liquid with one finger, watching waves of runes spread across the orbs as his automap flashed with an extensively detailed diagram of the region.</p><p>Blood Keep? That was new.</p><p>It seemed the map covered only the local sector of the region, which the Slayer guessed to be far larger than illustrated. And yup, there were the Basilisks. Big, scaly, and cunning beasts, fond of feeding on consumed planets.</p><p>The Slayer took a closer look at his automap.</p><p>Strange, he couldn’t find a single planet in the surrounding region. He could see the <em>remains </em>of countless planets – continent-size shards floating in the emptiness, the perfect feeding ground for Basilisks – but not a single complete world in the whole sector. There were a few Parasite Moons in the area but those didn’t count. No Predator Worlds, no Tyrant Stars, no higher powers of any kind.</p><p>But there was a Blood Storm nearby. Great.</p><p>No permanent forts or signs of intelligent agencies either. There HAD been this citadel, but that was a mobile fortress, and the inhabitants were a scavenger race. Apart from a few wild Hell beasts, the least unconcerning of which were the Basilisks, the region was unusually empty.</p><p>Something big had happened here.</p><p>A high-pitched roar resonated nearby, and as he switched off the automap, the Slayer spotted a gigantic serpentine shadow slither in the sky behind a floating mountain. A juvenile Basilisk, about a hundred meters long, come to feast on the wrecked citadel.</p><p>The Slayer equipped his combat shotgun and turned to the Hellscape, not wanting to get caught in a Blood Storm or between a Basilisk and its prize. The automap indicated a resource stache not too far away, no doubt a temporary shelter from some long-past mortal expedition. He’d salvage what he could from it and figure it out from there.</p><p>He pumped his shotgun and raced away into the infernal wastes.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>Ruby stared in horror at the image of the ruptured Tower on the display monitor.</p><p>It was bad enough that the Hellgate was fully open now, allowing into Mars all manner of nightmarish monstrosities, but to make matters worse, the sun had gone down and night had fallen.</p><p>Their chances of survival had gone down to practically zero.</p><p>“Agent!”</p><p>Ruby had already noticed. A ring of teleporter pods throughout the lobby whirred into operation around them.</p><p>“MOVE!”</p><p>“Wait! Our helmets!”</p><p>“LEAVE THEM!”</p><p>The group raced down the hallway into the Helix Labs as the possessed soldiers warped into the chamber and released Hellish roars. She provided cover fire with her pulse rifle to let the others hurry away as the demons started shooting.</p><p>“GET TO THE HANGAR! IT’S ON THE EAST END!”</p><p>Reeves, Rogers, and Romero managed to stay ahead of their pursuers and most of the incoming projectiles at a brisk sprinting speed, but Harrison was lagging behind and before long fell back to Ruby’s position.</p><p>“Christopher! You need to hurry!”</p><p>“I can’t! Aaah! My legs!”</p><p>Ruby looked down at the scientist’s legs. There were glowing runes perforating into his suit’s white plating, and she could see blood dripping through the cracks.</p><p>“No! NOOO!”</p><p>Ruby charged a power blast and released the crackling orb at the demons. The orb exploded on impact and reduced a half dozen soldiers into steaming fluids smeared on the walls. She pulled the trigger again to fire on the remaining demons but the rifle didn’t respond, the trigger repeatedly clicking with no reaction. Grunting in frustration, she slung the firearm and bent down to hoist Harrison on her shoulder.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Christopher. I’m getting you out of here. Romero! Rogers! Help us!”</p><p>The two men turned around and hurried to assist the two stragglers but then they raised their weapons at a point behind Ruby.</p><p>“Look out!”</p><p>Ruby heard the telltale screech of imps behind her.</p><p>She pulled out her EMG with her right hand as she carried Harrison with her left, and desperately fired at the loathsome creatures while hurriedly shambling towards safety, trying to avoid the fireballs flying through the corridor at them.</p><p>A sudden flash of cold fear pierced through Ruby’s head, and she shut her eyes in an effort to drown out the mocking voices.</p><p>“AAAAHH!” Harrison yelled in pain and fell out of Ruby’s grip.</p><p>“Christopher!”</p><p>Harrison’s left foot was gone, the charred stump smoking where a fireball had pierced through the weakened armor and gone through flesh and bone. Ruby saw the desperate supplication in the elderly scientist’s eyes as he stared up at her with imps gaining on him, fangs dripping and eyes lurid.</p><p>“Agent!”</p><p>Ruby vaguely moved in the direction of the injured scientist, but in a split-second the pack pounced on him and she could only see blood flying through thrashing demon limbs.</p><p>“CHRISTOPHER!”</p><p>“Look out, Taylor!” Rogers appeared at her side and pulled her away. Harrison’s arm was visible through the flailing horde, holding a primed frag grenade.</p><p>She reflexively fell to the floor.</p><p>
  <em>BOOM!!</em>
</p><p>The explosion left her ears ringing and she hazily looked up, trying to gather her bearings through the smoke and ashes.</p><p>The voices had vanished. Thick black blood ran down the walls and dripped from the ceiling, and scattered across the room were rune-scarred plates of armor, which had once belonged to a UAC security suit.</p><p>
  <em>No…</em>
</p><p>“-lor! Taylor! We have to go!”</p><p>Ruby heavily picked herself up and absent-mindedly followed the Lieutenant. The fog in her head cleared when she read the sign MAIN HANGAR over an upcoming door.</p><p>“There…THERE IT IS!”</p><p>The gate slid open as they approached, and the team raced towards the lone shuttle parked in the hangar, a dim chamber with a glass ceiling that revealed the Martian night sky. Clambering up the craft’s steel ladders, they rushed through the open entry port and Ruby went straight to the pilot cabin.</p><p>“Everyone fasten your seatbelts! We’re taking off now!”</p><p>Ruby performed the preflight startup sequence and powered the shuttle up but stopped immediately when she read the message displayed on the dashboard, her blood running cold as ice.</p><p>
  <em>No, God. Please, God. No.</em>
</p><p>ERROR: SHUTTLE CANNOT BE LAUNCHED</p><p>PRIMARY AIR CONTROL NETWORK UNAVAILABLE</p><p>FOREIGN SIGNAL INTERFERING WITH NAVIGATION SYSTEMS</p><p>TRACING ANOMALY…</p><p>ORIGIN: LAZARUS LABS --&gt; LAZARUS REFRACTOR</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>I rolled my fingers across the corner of the corridor and cautiously peeked around the corner. Nothing.</p><p>I stepped around the corner and carefully walked on the driest surfaces I could spot poking through the surface of the…warm liquid that covered most of the floor.</p><p>
  <em>Thank God I can’t smell anymore.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>  </em>
</p><p>Small moist masses disgustingly plopped from holes in the walls onto the puddles that had accumulated throughout the place, but I was careful to not make any additional noise in that horrendous place. I didn’t know what might be listening.</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!”</em></p><p>I instantly froze.</p><p>“<em>Don’t talk,” </em>whispered Colonel Johnson into my ears. Or brain, or something. “<em>I’m taking scans of this place. There’s definitely something big moving nearby, but the place is a maze and the readings are all scrambled. Go through that door on your left. NOW.”</em></p><p>I obeyed without hesitation, splashing across the wet floor and ducking under a low doorway that immediately took a sharp left, then a right, as it led into a narrow hallway lit by sickly yellow ceiling fixtures. As soon as I entered the passage, I heard something heavy turn the corner I’d been in not ten seconds earlier and loudly splash across the liquid. There were legs. <em>Many </em>legs.</p><p>Something small silently crawled out of a hidden recess in the wall and I stepped on it out of reflex, making a loud <em>splat </em>as I crushed tissue and bone.</p><p>
  <em>OH FU-</em>
</p><p>“<em>Hurrrr.</em>”</p><p>I stood as still as my shivering limbs would allow, hearing whatever was out there stop right outside the tunnel entrance. It softly growled and took several deep sniffs of the doorway, but it didn’t pass through.</p><p>
  <em>Please, let it be too big to pass through the doorway.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Wait. No, WAIT.</em>
</p><p>After a horrifying amount of time, the thing snapped its jaws and continued roaming outside, its footsteps echoing and fading into silence.</p><p>
  <em>How many legs is that? ... Well, it’s definitely more than four. Probably not greater than ten. Ohhh…</em>
</p><p>“<em>I think it’s gone now.”</em></p><p>“Please tell me that I can reach a teleporter without having to go back out there.”</p><p>
  <em>“There’s a gate apparatus at the center of the maze, but this tunnel doesn’t go all the way.”</em>
</p><p>I sighed in desperation.</p><p>“<em>What you can do is check out the end of this hallway. It could be a dead end, but you might find something useful.”</em></p><p>I looked down at the creature I had crushed with my foot. It was like an overgrown spider with many spindly legs and a large central body, now splattered across the floor, that almost seemed made up entirely of brain tissue. I couldn’t spot anything that might have been an eye or mouth in the low light.</p><p>This one hadn’t been much of a threat, but the sound it made…I had to be careful.</p><p>The corridor remained surprisingly linear as it meandered within the maze’s wall, with no branching paths despite the frequent turns, but I kept a watchful eye for anything that might jump out from the shadows. I switched to my flak cannons and brandished the Bronze Spear, ready for anything.</p><p>“AAAAHHHH!”</p><p>A horrid creature, like a floating snake-like humanoid with short spikes for arms and a gaping lamprey-like maw, suddenly appeared from behind a corner. I immediately opened fire and thrust my spear into the monster, which lowly groaned before being reduced to a splattered mess on the wall.</p><p>“God DAMN…,” I whispered while breathing heavily.</p><p>I collected myself and continued, taking care not to rush around corners before arriving at a dead end.</p><p>At least, the corridor came to a stop and there were no doors or further paths I could take, but I just stood trying to comprehend what lay before me.</p><p>On the wall at the very end of the hallway was a pulsating mass of flesh and slime. It was like a giant fleshy starfish, countless vines splitting into further branches which snaked across the adjacent walls, floor, and ceiling. These vines were acting as vessels of some sort, softly throbbing and channeling fluid towards the structure at its center, a collection of small fleshy orbs.</p><p>I gagged and turned to leave.</p><p>“<em>Hold on, wait! I’ve read about this! This is some sort of parasite nest!”</em></p><p>“What’s…ugh, what’s this got to do with me?”</p><p>“<em>Those things in the center are blood-sucking leeches! They adhere to a host and usually feed on their blood, but when Argent energy is applied to them, they can draw blood from other creatures at a distance!”</em></p><p>“Why would I want…”</p><p>I thought back to the pale Tree, and how my chassis was restored from the blood sap the Tree had accumulated from its victims.</p><p>“Okay, I think I’m getting it.”</p><p>“<em>Yeah, if you apply your core energy, you can use one of these suckers to heal your injuries.”</em></p><p>The small orbs gently quivered within their nest, producing wet squelching sounds.</p><p>“You said these are parasites?”</p><p>“<em>The company ran some tests, and apparently they can survive just fine on siphoned blood.</em></p><p>
  <em>Use your spear and pry one off. GENTLY. You don’t want to disturb the whole nest.”</em>
</p><p>I raised my spear and softly poked one of the squirming leeches on the outermost edge of the nest, which promptly released a sharp hiss. I forced down my revulsion and pressed on.</p><p>Using the tip of the Bronze Spear, I slowly eased the tiny leech from its nest. It was attached to the wall by thin curling ligaments, which combined with its gelatinous body and underbody mouth, gave it the appearance of a tiny red octopus.</p><p>“Disgusting. What do I do with this now?”</p><p>“<em>Are you left-handed or right-handed?</em>”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“<em>Place it on the palm of your left hand. With some luck, it’ll bond to it and let you siphon blood from demons if you apply some Argent energy.”</em></p><p>I took another look at the wretched thing on the end of my spear. Its tendrils wiggled slightly in the air as it no doubt searched for something living to stick to. I guessed I would have to do. I would have preferred to keep such a thing as far away as possible or to squish it beneath my foot, but the ability to heal my injuries was too good to pass up.</p><p>And it’s not like there were medpacks in Hell.</p><p>I brought the end of the Bronze Spear closer and I reached out with my left hand, onto which the leech promptly leaped on and bit into.</p><p>It hurt.</p><p>“AAAAAAHHHHHH!”</p><p>I could feel the leech tearing at my hand with its mouth and digging its tendrils in. There were splatters of blood.</p><p>
  <em>My blood.</em>
</p><p>My vision began to erode into a field of static as my head fell victim to a mind-splitting migraine. The static melted away to reveal a horrific skeletal arm, lacking skin, tissue, and implanted with metallic implements. Amid the twisted bony fingers, a ravenous leech dug into what remained of flesh in the palm of the hand.</p><p>
  <em>My hand…!</em>
</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>I found myself clutching at my arm on the floor.</p><p>
  <em>What…what am I doing here? What just happened?</em>
</p><p>I glanced around at the dim sickly corridor as I gathered my bearings.</p><p>
  <em>God, these lapses feel like they’re getting worse. I hope my head doesn’t glitch in the middle of a fight.</em>
</p><p>“<em>Soldier? Soldier, come in.”</em></p><p>It was Colonel Johnson’s voice over the radio.</p><p>“Colonel! Yes, reporting!”</p><p>“<em>Are you okay, soldier? I lost you there for a second.”</em></p><p>“I…I don’t know what happened. My head kind of aches.”</p><p>“<em>What’s the last thing you remember?”</em></p><p>“The last thing?”</p><p>I turned to the pulsating fleshy mass on the wall. Had I come into contact with it?</p><p>“I’m…I’m not sure. I recall just walking along this tunnel. I think there were bugs here. Big ones.</p><p>Ugh, my memory’s not getting any better. It might just be getting worse. What happened to me, Colonel?”</p><p>“<em>Hell’s messing with your wires, John. Your chassis is tough but it won’t protect you forever, you’ve got to get out of there. Follow what I tell you and you’ll be back home soon, I promise.”</em></p><p>I grabbed my spear and was about to leave when I caught sight of a diagram on the stone wall. A square layout of parallel and perpendicular lines, almost like a maze, roughly sketched onto the wall.</p><p>
  <em>Wait a minute, is that THIS maze?</em>
</p><p>Perhaps, but the structure was bafflingly complex and didn’t seem to follow any sort of logic or reason. To me it just seemed a mindless mess of lines and crosses, although which occasionally resembled familiar letters or numbers. An “H,” a “2,” the entire northeast corner even resembled a complete “1337,” but that was probably just me trying to make sense of random scribbles.</p><p>I sighed and headed back out the narrow winding hallway.</p><p>“<em>Soldier?”</em></p><p>“Copy that. One more thing: did…did something happen to my hand? I think I remember you telling me something about…blood? And Argent?”</p><p>“<em>I’ve just finished running some diagnostics on your systems. Your left hand’s Hemokinetic Field module is up and running.</em>”</p><p>“That sounds important.”</p><p>“<em>I should hope so. Spend a little of your core’s Argent energy to siphon enemy blood and repair your injuries? Courtesy of the Union Aerospace Corporation. Doesn’t get much better than that.”</em></p><p>Reaching the end of the corridor which opened back onto the chamber, I slowly peeked around the corner. There was something at the far end of the channel. I briefly caught sight of a huge and pale slug-like shape staring dead at me before rushing away with its many legs.</p><p>“<em>Of course, results in the field may vary.</em>”</p><p>“I can’t stay here for too long, Colonel. Get me to the next portal. I need to keep moving.”</p><p>“<em>Copy that.”</em></p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The Doom Slayer soared into the sanguine sky, leaping off from one dark continental shard floating in the emptiness to the next. The sponge-like fragments were riddled with massive holes and tunnels, the work of Basilisks feeding on the remains of countless worlds, and the Slayer kept a sharp lookout for any sudden movement. He could deal with demons slashing or shooting at him, but the experience of being swallowed whole had always been an exceedingly unpleasant one.</p><p>He would have preferred to navigate the region with the Praetor Suit’s Inertia Drive. That way he wouldn’t need to expend conscious power and focus to manipulate the abstract environment for the mere act of traversal, but he made do with his jump pack.</p><p>He disliked flying. Moving without the use of his legs always felt so unnatural. The firm sensation of ground beneath his feet, even the unholy grounds of Hell, was far more preferable.</p><p>Looking down from the summit of a yawning precipice, he could see a river of blood snaking through a forest of dark boney trees at the base of the sheer mountainside, where the automap indicated the resource stache. He leapt off the cliff and slid down the surface, coming to a halt at the place marked by his automap.</p><p>
  
</p><p>The Slayer raised his eyebrows.</p><p>He’d been expecting a meager shelter constructed by some unfortunate travelers, maybe some simple sigils to keep local beasts away.</p><p>He was not expecting a small fleet of black rune-inscribed dropships stationed beneath the cover of a Hellish forest, and certainly not ships bearing the UAC logo.</p><p>He’d never seen these kinds of UAC ships before. There were five small craft, some twenty meters long, positioned in a ring around what was a makeshift camp. There were runes of protection etched on the vessel’s hulls to shield the camp from the infernal elements, as well as runes of concealment to hide them from most unwanted sights.</p><p>The Slayer could tell the protection runes weren’t properly implemented, which explained the dead bodies inside the camp and the twisted figures outside of it, but they would have lasted long enough to enable a small expedition. And although long since destroyed, there were the remains of space-time continuum generators to maintain a bubble of reasonably stable space-time.</p><p>It was almost impressive.</p><p>He grabbed his M1911 pistol and casually fired at the once-human atrocities shambling towards him, horrific contortions of flesh and bone. Some retained a vague humanoid shape but wore their thin sinewy skin like a veil over their seared flesh and liquefied factions, multiple extraneous limbs reaching for him. These were merely Damned, those who had lost themselves to Hell’s power and retained no semblance of intelligence, condemned to wander the wastes for all eternity. But there were also Apostates, engorged figures who carried within the capricious souls of those they had condemned.</p><p>These groaned at the sight of the Slayer and painfully shuffled towards him, desperate to be freed from their torment. The Damned fell with a single bullet to the head and crumbled into ash on the ground but the Apostates exploded on death and released swarms of Ricti, black Lost Souls that spat fireballs at the Slayer. The Slayer took care to avoid the incoming projectiles as he eliminated the creatures with little heed.</p><p>The Slayer expected munitions and other supplies inside the camp, but he left two Damned alive in case he needed to restock with his chainsaw.</p><p>Entering the camp’s protected perimeter, the first thing the Slayer did was head for the autocannon mounted on the fallen heavy infantry mech at the edge of the camp. He cautiously studied the weapon’s structure before ripping it off at the mech’s elbow, watching as his Praetor Suit retrofitted its components into something he could manually fire.</p><p>DELTA-12 CHAINGUN ACQUIRED</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – BULLETS</p><p>PRIMARY FIRE – BEGINS FIRING AT ONCE BUT SPINS UP TO FULL SPEED</p><p>SECONDARY FIRE – NONE</p><p>NOTE: ROUNDS FIRED ARE PIERCING AND INCENDIARY; EACH ROUND COSTS 2 BULLETS</p><p><em>This. </em>Now <em>this </em>was a weapon, thought the Slayer as he contemplated the weight of the gun in his hands, a wicked grin spreading inside his helmet. His rocket launcher worked just fine, but there were few sensations more satisfying than the recoil of a machine gun and the sound of raining lead. Or tungsten, in this case.</p><p>Putting his new tool away into his Suit’s storage matrix for the time being, the Slayer entered the main settlement, noticing the remains of another four mechs. Clearly not enough for this ill-fated expedition. He climbed aboard the nearest of the wrecked ships, curious to see if there was anything he could do with the interdimensional drive.</p><p>Well, the Slayer thought as he looked over the defunct apparatus, the drive had certainly once been mid-twenty-second-century state-of-the-art UAC technology, but Hell’s reality had corrupted its components beyond recognition. The drive was covered with a thick layer of blackish rust etched with gnarled symbols and nail scratch marks, and its insides were a fused mess of amalgamated wiring.</p><p>His Praetor Suit… It itself may be damaged, but was there anything his Praetor Suit could do?</p><p>He kneeled closer to the corroded drive and ran a deep systems scan with the Suit.</p><p>RUNNING ANALYSIS…PROCESSING…</p><p>ANALYSIS COMPLETE: FAILURE</p><p>DRIVE IS TOO CORRUPTED TO REPAIR OR REVERSE ENGINEER</p><p>The Slayer briefly hesitated before punching the drive in frustration.</p><p>He stepped outside of the ship and contemplated what to do next when he began to hear a low whispering. Nothing unusual, considering his whereabouts, but he could hear faint words and lines of human dialogue. It must have been the impressions of the human travelers, imprinted into the physicopsychic Hellscape. The Slayer widened his senses, focusing on the ghostly images of the UAC workers coming into view.</p><p>There were a few dozen figures performing various tasks such as unloading cargo from the ships, mounting equipment for operation, standing guard in various weaponized mechs. The majority of the travelers were workers, their envirosuits etched with personal sigils of protection, but there were also a number of strange robotic figures among them.</p><p>They looked like Hayden. Their color scheme was black-and-red instead of white-and-blue, they had Hellish sigils blazing on their chests, and a demonic outline with clawed hands and sharp edges, but they bore uncanny resemblance to the Martian Director. What were they? Cyborgs? Robots? Or something else? The Slayer quickly glanced around the camp for any sign of these figures. They were nowhere to be found.</p><p>Putting them out of his mind for the time being, the Slayer focused on the four human guards dressed in red armor among the travelers, keenly watching over the settlement in combat gear and carrying…what the hell were they carrying?</p><p>Those weren’t firearms the Slayer was familiar with; they were glossy black rifles with angular faceted surfaces and multi-pronged barrels. Were those some new type of plasma gun? They were branded with the UAC logo and clearly made for human hands, but the Slayer wondered if they too were reverse-engineered from Hellish artifacts.</p><p>Extracting infernal Argent energy, cybernetically augmenting demons, intentionally demonizing humans, even creating weaponry from Hell technology. What else was the UAC doing? What was the goal of all this?</p><p>Was this the work of the Lazarus Project?</p><p>With a furious scowl, he turned his attention to what the travelers were saying.</p><p>“<em>Continuum generators online. Camp-wide Hayden Field up and running at ninety-nine point seventy-eight percent capacity.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Doctor Hayden won’t accept those parameters.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s within the margin of error, it’s acceptable.”</em>
</p><p>Wait, Hayden had accompanied this expedition?</p><p>The Slayer turned to the rest of the camp to search for Hayden when he spotted his cybernetic frame standing head, shoulders, and chest above the others, beneath the shadow of a sixth ship that had been parked at the center of the camp. He was taller than the Slayer expected, a full three meters in height from head to toe.</p><p>Arrogant asshole.</p><p>“<em>Doctor Hayden, all preparations are complete. The camp is secure. Standing by for your orders.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Are the field generators fully operational?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“There is slight variation in the Calabi-Yau manifold output, but it’s within the margin of error.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“There is no margin of error for this operation. I trust the generators will be operating at maximum capacity by the time I return.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Of course, Director.”</em>
</p><p><em>“Echo Squad,” </em>Hayden spoke as he turned away from the worker, “<em>get to the command ship and begin Phase Two. We head to the tomb at once.”</em></p><p>Tomb? What tomb?</p><p>The faint reflections of Hayden and two of the red guards stepped aboard the sixth ship and vanished, but the Slayer was affixed on the object that had lay hidden behind Hayden’s frame. His focus returned to the present, and the rest of the travelers’ impressions faded into silence.</p><p>It was a sword. A white longsword with a thick crossguard, black edge, and cracked blade, embedded into the ground in the center of a vivid blue bonfire. The sapphire flames gently lapped and rolled against the blade and hilt, but these suffered no harm. It was Purefire, a cleansing force whose rival was that which blazed across the Hellscape, but the Slayer was focused on the Argenta longsword, recognizing the campsite as the final resting place of a Night Sentinel warrior.</p><p>And he would know, for it was he who’d laid them to rest.</p><p>The memories of him holding the broken bodies in his arms as he shouted at the Heavens in anguish flooded his mind, and his endless fury became marred with a long-forgotten sorrow, and a guilt as sharp and piercing as the sword before him.</p><p>When Argent D’Nur fell, it was he who tracked down his fallen Sentinel brothers, scattered across Hell by devilish treachery, and laid their bodies to rest.</p><p>Every last one. Because the one responsible for their deaths was him.</p><p>The Slayer approached the sword, ignoring the Purefire scorching through his armor and searing at his soul. He reached out and hesitated before placing his hand upon the pommel.</p><p>To his surprise, the sapphire flames immediately siphoned into the blade and passed into his outstretched hand before being absorbed by his body. His HEALTH rose from 62 to 100 and the bonfire vanished to leave nothing but the faintly glowing sword smoldering in the ground.</p><p>Just as he pondered what had happened, a new apparition manifested before him, one even paler and more ethereal than those of the UAC workers he’d witnessed.</p><p>It was the spirit of the fallen Night Sentinel. The spirit said nothing, standing calmly before the Slayer.</p><p>He recognized the distinct presence of the warrior. Gor had been his name, soldier of the 31<sup>st</sup> Legion, obstinate and relentless till the end. After breaking his blade on a pack of Hellions, he had slain another two score with his hands before falling.</p><p>He remembered them all.</p><p>The spirit of Gor then moved, raising an arm to point in a direction far into the distance. The Slayer focused on where the warrior pointed.</p><p>His sight fell upon a deceased Black Pyramid hidden away deep within the Blood Keep, a monolithic entity of glass and stone. Devious things which the Slayer vehemently hated, but he spotted the exceedingly powerful seals of containment – now broken – placed over the Pyramid, and the UAC ship docked at a breach in its surface. The sixth ship!</p><p>The Pyramid must be the tomb for whatever Hayden had personally come to Hell looking for, and whatever portal mechanism they had established must be how the cyborg returned to the mortal universe. If Hayden had returned, then so could he.</p><p>The spatial coordinates must be set to Mars and the temporal coordinates must likewise be sometime recent. He might be wrong, or the portal might no longer be functional, but it was leagues better than nothing.</p><p>The Slayer brought his focus back to his location and the spirit of Gor. The fallen warrior placed a fist over his heart in salutation before lightly bowing his head and vanishing. His HUD pinged with an automap notification. He opened the region map to find the Black Pyramid marked at the other end of the sector. His new objective.</p><p>With newfound purpose, the Slayer quickly turned around and hurried throughout the camp, picking up serviceable supplies while his Praetor Suit synthesized ammo from any viable resources. Plasma cells, bullet belts, a case of rockets, fresh grenades and mines, and a full stock of batteries for the chainsaw. Most of the workers’ armors were too corrupted to be of use, but one of the infantry mechs had just enough plating to reward the Slayer with 75 ARMOR, and a combination of medical supplies and natural Argent energy deposits boosted his HEALTH to 153.</p><p>Restocked, recharged, and with a new heavy weapon in his arsenal, the Slayer turned to the two Damned he’d left wandering outside the camp. He pulled out his new D12 chaingun and spun the barrels up, taking aim at the Damned.</p><p>He paused for a moment, focusing on the whirring of the weapon and the vibration of its motor, before changing his mind and taking his finger off the trigger. He put the chaingun away and instead killed the Damned with a Blood Punch.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>“Colonel, where’s that big thing?”</p><p>“<em>Eh…your location’s structure is interfering with the readings, I can’t get a clear lock. It doesn’t seem like its following you yet, but it damn certain knows you’re there.”</em></p><p>“Affirmative.”</p><p>I took careful steps across the ankle-deep pools of that cursed place, ever wary of invisible pits beneath the murky fluid or of shapes that may suddenly leap out from the many branching tunnels. I focused on not staring for too long into those dark halls or into the ground material slowly oozing out from channels in the walls.</p><p>There was the sound of splashing echoing around the corner. I carefully peeked around to find a horrendous thing – like a hunched long-limbed skeleton covered with hanging strips of bloody sinews – violently thrashing across the puddles and snapping at a small spider-like critter desperately hopping away. I leaned myself a bit further for a better view and the larger creature immediately turned and stared in my direction. Its head was devoid of eyes with only two empty sockets piercing through my soul, and I noticed the long sharp beak attached to its bony head. In fact, with its low hunched stature, clawed feet, and long sinewy arms that resembled wings, the thing was not unlike some sort of hellish vulture.</p><p>“<em>AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!”</em></p><p>Its harsh shriek brought me to full alert and I jumped out from behind the corner with spinning machine guns and hands ready to throw fireballs. I opened fire on it but it rushed out of the way with surprising speed, clinging to the walls with its long bony limbs and splashing liquid to throw off my aim. It swung its arm and threw the hanging sinews in my direction, the fleshy rinds striking hard as bullets and prompting my overshield to trigger.</p><p>“Ugh! Vulgar piece of-!”</p><p>I readied a fireball and threw it at the thing, which hit its mark and set it on fire. The creature howled and thrashed as it splashed across the puddles trying to put itself out, but the sinister flames only spread across its hanging viscera and engulfed it entirely. Grimacing in disgust, I readied another fireball and launched it at the creature again. The fireball hit and the thing burst apart into bony fragments burning throughout the dark puddles, its head bobbing silently on the surface.</p><p>“<em>Hissssss…”</em></p><p>A malicious hissing drew my attention above and behind me. There was something fluttering through the air close to the ceiling, but it was concealed in the shadows and I couldn’t spot it.</p><p>“AAAHHH!”</p><p>A glob of green slime suddenly struck me from in the direction of the hissing. It sizzed on my overshield and hardened into a scaly crust before flaking off, restricting my movement while on my chassis.</p><p>“Damn you!”</p><p>I switched to my flak cannons and blindly into the shadows while throwing fireball after fireball at the ceiling. It wasn’t long before something got hit and dropped lifelessly to the puddles.</p><p>“<em>Aoooo…”</em></p><p>The new sound echoed all around and sent shivers up my spine. It was a dozen of those wicked figures I’d seen earlier, snake-like with stubby arms and round gaping mouths, slowly floating out of the hallways as far as I could see. They were scraggy and thin, but their numbers were concerning and the mob was not backing down. The one nearest to me growled menacingly and I could see flames rising through its maw.</p><p>“OooOH SHI-!”</p><p>I triggered my dash jets to move out of the way of the fireball, but it curved through the air and struck my overshield. It turned red and I realized I couldn’t take many more hits.</p><p>“<em>John! Get out of there!”</em></p><p>I switched to machine guns and opened fire on the mob with piercing rounds, backing away rapidly to dodge the slow but tracking projectiles they spat.</p><p>“<em>Above you!</em>”</p><p>I looked up to find a swarm of small round creatures flutter out from recesses in the ceiling. They had leathery skin, small finger-like protrusions on their undersides, and a long smoking snout filled with wide flat teeth. Their swollen bodies had no other features and they almost resembled disembodied heads.</p><p>I recognized them as the creatures like the one that had spat the green slime at me, so I switched to my longer-ranged missile launchers and launched several volleys at the approaching swarm while hurrying away deeper into the maze. Another glob struck me and my overshield burst with a shockwave that knocked the closest creatures back, but the rest kept advancing and I took several hits directly to my body. The slime burned and slowed me down while the fireballs blasted through my chassis.</p><p>“AAAHHH!”</p><p>“<em>Your Hemokinetic Module! Use it to heal your wounds!”</em></p><p>Of course! That blood-siphoning thing that Colonel Johnson had brought online! I held my left hand out and channeled my mana into it, watching in amazement as crackling scarlet beams burst from my fingers and electrified the nearest floating creature. The thing groaned as blood was ripped from its body and was focused through the beam to me, mending my wounds and repairing my chassis.</p><p>“<em>Sweep the beam across them! It’ll stun them that way!”</em></p><p>My mana was running low but I did as the Colonel ordered, sweeping the beam across the horde while sprinting away. All the beasts struck by the beam halted momentarily as scarlet bolts arced across their bodies, giving me time to back away and steal their blood simultaneously.</p><p>My mana was out but I was fully restored.</p><p>I switched back to my machine guns but this time toggled to explosive rounds and opened fire on the mob. The machine gun configuration had much faster projectiles and firing rate than the missile launchers, thinning the horde out much quicker.</p><p>Suddenly my guns stopped shooting.</p><p>“Huh? What’s happening?”</p><p>“<em>Your machine guns’ ammo pools are dry! They have to regenerate! But your mana is coming back!”</em></p><p>“Hell yeah! Let’s light these bastards up!”</p><p>I primed my hands in preparation for a flame wave and was about to release the spell when a haunting bellow echoed through the halls.</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!!”</em></p><p>Immediately the multitude dispersed in a dozen different directions, with the flying critters hurrying away to recesses in the ceiling while the floating beasts slowly fled down the many corridors.</p><p>“<em>Johh, the big thing’s moving! It’s headed right for you!”</em></p><p>“WHAT THE- WHERE IS IT? WHERE DO I GO?”</p><p>“-<em>straight ahead! Turn around! Go back! Go back!”</em></p><p>I stood still for a few moments in utter confusion before I heard the sound of heavy splashing ahead and spotted something large and pale in the distance rushing down the tunnel straight for me.</p><p>Failing to even shout in mind-numbing terror, I simply turned around and ran for dear life. Everything became a ceaseless blend of identical corners and hallways, and the sounds of splashing, roaring, and Colonel Johnson’s profane shouting all blended together into a cacophony of madness.</p><p>There was a gate! An actual door sealing off a section of the maze! I didn’t know if the gate could be opened but the splashing was getting closer, and the door seemed just low enough to allow me to enter. Beneath the splashing I could hear the panting of whatever was chasing me.</p><p>Something landed on the puddles not far behind, then something else to my right. Without warning, something struck my back and brought me to a lurching halt.</p><p>“Oof!”</p><p>I turned around to find a mass of thick mucus sticking me to the ground and completely preventing my escape. I tore at the mass with my hands but it was almost completely solid.</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!!”</em></p><p>Desperate, I pulled my knife out and slashed at the ropey tendrils. It worked. I freed myself from my bindings and continued to run like hell.</p><p>I was almost there, just a bit further. I used my dash jets to zigzag while running as something kept spitting mucus in my direction. I primed my machine guns ready to blast the gate apart but astoundingly it slid open as I approached.</p><p>“Uggghhh AAAAAAHHHHHH!!”</p><p>I fired my dash jets and soared through the opening with outstretched arms. I lost my balance in the leap and landed hard on my arms, sliding across the floor a considerable distance but I’d made it.</p><p>The gate slid shut behind me.</p><p>
  <em>SLAM!</em>
</p><p>Something heavy crashed against the door, sending tremors through the floor and rattling my vision, but the gate did not break or open.</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!”</em></p><p>I looked up in search of an escape route. Nothing. There were intricate sculpted patterns on the walls to contrast from the mostly plain corridors outside but the room was a dead end.</p><p>I was trapped.</p><p>
  <em>SLAM SLAM! SLAM!</em>
</p><p>Whatever was outside was clearly pissed off and trying desperately to break in, but I guessed I was safe for the moment. The thing growled and I heard its heavy footsteps slink away, but I knew better than to go outside and check.</p><p>Struggling to calm down, I heavily picked myself up as my heart raced inside my chest.</p><p>
  <em>Guess this tin man’s still got a heart.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All right, let’s consider our options. Small room, dead end. Big angry thing outside. Probably too big to take down before it eats me…if I can take it down at all, that is. This is Hell, the thing might decide it doesn’t give a shit about bullets.</em>
</p><p>I sighed and slumped against the wall.</p><p>
  <em>What about spells? Flame wave hits har- no, same thing. Don’t know if I can hurt the thing at all. I could just be throwing spitballs before it catches up to me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ugh…I’m screwed.</em>
</p><p>I half-heartedly slammed the wall in exhaustion, which to my surprise moved under the pressure from my hand.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>I turned to where my hand had landed. It seemed like an ordinary section of wall with the same repeating rectangular pattern…</p><p>
  <em>No. No, it’s not repeating!</em>
</p><p>Standing up straight for a better look, I realized that the sculpted patterns were actually thin rectangular structures that made up the surface of the room’s walls, minus the floor, ceiling, and the wall containing the entry gate. Although attached to the walls, the pieces were mobile and could be slid across the surface.</p><p>“What is this, some kind of control panel? A lock, maybe?”</p><p>I took my hands off the pieces since I didn’t know what would happen if I changed their layout, and turned to the wall opposite the entry door. It looked identical to the other two; square with parallel and perpendicular lines which occasionally resembled-</p><p>“My God! It’s the square diagram from the tunnel!”</p><p>It was the marked scribbles that I’d seen earlier inside that low tunnel. The wall was almost a perfect recreation, except some of the pieces were off. Some of them were twisted the wrong way or placed on other parts of the maze.</p><p>
  <em>Wow, I can…remember that etching perfectly. Wish I could remember literally anything else too.</em>
</p><p>Something roared in the tunnel behind me. I sure as hell wasn’t going back out now. But perhaps, I could go further in.</p><p>“<em>Are you sure you wanna be messing with that?”</em></p><p>“Got no other choice.”</p><p><em>All right. This piece went the other way, </em>I thought as I twisted one of the components on the wall to resemble the maze back in the tunnel.</p><p>
  <em>This thing…gotta slide it over here. This part resembled an “H” … And these three pieces were interlocked.</em>
</p><p>“<em>Don’t forget the section in the left middle, the one that looked like a 2.”</em></p><p>“Oh right, right.”</p><p>I slid those pieces and stood back. Nothing happened.</p><p>“…Hmm.”</p><p>“<em>You sure you got the whole thing right?”</em></p><p>“I…it looks exactly the same!</p><p>Damn! I really thought I had it.”</p><p>
  <em>“What about the northeast corner?”</em>
</p><p>I looked up. The northeast corner was fine-</p><p>“Ugh. I missed the part that looks like a 1337.”</p><p>“‘<em>Exactly the same,’ was it?”</em></p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p>I reached up to organize the last corner.</p><ol>
<li>3. 3… 7.</li>
</ol><p>All the components at once sank into the wall as light gleamed between their gaps, and with a deep rumbling the entire wall slid back and slowly rose to reveal a previously hidden space.</p><p>“Ohh…OHH.”</p><p>The gate opened into a vast chamber that stretched much wider and taller than any other I’d seen within the maze. The chamber was lined with towering statues depicting some race of thin gaunt beings; these had long snake-like abdomens instead of legs, and a peculiar pair of tentacles at their sides that branched into many smaller arms, each with what looked like hands. Their faces were strange but nothing horrific. In fact, all of the statues were sculpted to appear dressed in gowns, these adorned with symbols and other glyphs. But this wasn’t what horrified me.</p><p>The whole chamber was littered with the bodies of these beings, each about the size of a person, entire multitudes covering almost every available inch of floor.</p><p>“<em>Good Lord in Heaven.”</em></p><p>They were all dead. Even though the statues depicted them as slender creatures, their corpses were dreadfully emaciated and difficult to look at, their eye sockets gaping and their dry skin stretched over their bones. This skin was a nauseating shade of deep purple, although the occasional hues of blue and green hinted they might have been more vivid in life. There were the remains of clothing, tools, and other implements on their bodies and vicinities, and as I looked back at the statues I realized their true nature.</p><p>“These…these aren’t demons. They were…”</p><p>“<em>Aliens?”</em></p><p>“People. They were a people like us. Maybe not human but, this was a civilization. This was their home. Somehow this whole place, whatever it was, got sucked into Hell whole. With them still in it.”</p><p>Colonel Johnson painfully sighed.</p><p>“<em>Rest their souls, the poor bastards.”</em></p><p>There were children here too.</p><p>I figured they were children, due to their smaller stature and simpler features. In contrast to the grown-ups’ complex branching arms, those of the children were plain with few or no branches, but they still held on to their parents with what few hands they had.</p><p>I stopped.</p><p>There were three bodies huddled together: two adults and one child. The child cowered against the body of one parent while the other parent held the two within its arms, still trying to shield them with its body and with as many hands it could.</p><p>I stared at the sorry sight for a time before I could feel something rising inside me.</p><p>
  <em>Nausea? Horror? No…ANGER.</em>
</p><p>I was furious. Furious that I was in Hell. Furious that I was trapped in a maze. Furious that an intelligent species, one of who-knows-how-many, fell to this world and their citizens perished with nothing they could do about it, their people still trying to save their children from oblivion.</p><p>I clenched my fists, ignoring the pain and the sparking produced.</p><p>“-<em>hn! JOHN!”</em></p><p>I sharply gasped.</p><p>”<em>Leave it. There’s nothing you can do for them now.”</em></p><p>I heavily sighed. The Colonel was right.</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!”</em></p><p>
  <em>Oh yeah, I’m furious at that thing too. Whatever it is.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What the hell is that?”</em>
</p><p>“What?” I turned around but noticed immediately what the Colonel meant.</p><p>“<em>THAT.”</em></p><p>
  <em>  </em>
</p><p>It was an eyeball. A freakish glowing eyeball in the middle of the chamber floating atop a small pedestal, which I could swear had not been there when I entered the room. It was a strange thing a glassy orb the size of a billiard ball with a bright red outside and an <em>intense </em>blue iris, and a faint red shining through the pupil. The eye had a sort of ghostly nature and was somewhat hard to see.</p><p>And it was watching me.</p><p>I circled around it and the eye tracked my movement. I stopped and turned in the opposite direction, and the eye followed. Whatever it was, this blurry artifact creeped me the hell out.</p><p>“<em>I don’t trust that thing one bit, soldier.”</em></p><p>“Neither do I. But I want to know what it is.”</p><p>The eyeball began to shine brighter.</p><p>“<em>You’re not actually suggesting you’re going to </em>touch <em>that, are you?!”</em></p><p>“It’s either this or that big thing out there.”</p><p>“<em>John! Do you not see all these dead bodies surrounding the VERY OBVIOUS OBJECT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM? Take a wild guess what happened to them!”</em></p><p>“These beings likely died from unshielded exposure to Hell’s reality, something that clearly hasn’t happened to me yet. Whatever that thing is, I can handle it.”</p><p>“<em>John, listen to me! You are not invincible! You’re not an unstoppable killing machine, you’re a walking bag of technical problems! A highly experimental, highly unstable and virtually untested combat unit that shouldn’t even have been activated, much less still be alive.</em></p><p>
  <em>Do you even know where you are, soldier? You’re in Hell! The most dangerous and unpredictable place known to mankind! Do you know what the UAC has documented in their expeditions here?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Beasts that suck your brains out through your nostrils, tar pools that trap you and gradually roast you alive, living crystals that envelop you and keep you alive in never-ending agony! One of the workers that trespassed a safety field was witnessed to be constantly dismembered and regenerated by an unseen force over and over again until they finally abandoned him! You seriously can’t expect to pick up every single thing that grabs your attention and acquire a shiny new power every single time!”</em>
</p><p>“You’re right, sir,” I said while walking over to the orb, electricity crackling on its surface. “The one stuck here in Hell is me. So the one that ultimately calls the shots is me, no?”</p><p>“<em>STOP RIGHT THERE, SOLDIER! YOU ARE DEFYING A DIRECT ORDER FROM YOUR SUPERIOR COMMANDING OFFICER!”</em></p><p>The light from the eyeball was almost blinding.</p><p>“With all due respect, sir, I don’t give a damn.”</p><p>I stretched my hand out and touched the eyeball.</p><p> </p><p>The spell broke as soon as I came into contact with the artifact, washing me in a wave of terror when I realized it had drawn me in without me even knowing. My vision flickered as my being was thrown through different levels of reality, each one more abstract and less real than the last.</p><p>I came to a lurching halt and saw a multitude before me, stoic and impassive in their ageless wait and with minds as strange and alien as their bodies.</p><p>They were not like me. They did not recognize me.</p><p>The third eyes on their foreheads opened. Bright, glaring things with gazes as cold and piercing as steel, and everything went white.</p><p> </p><p>I opened my eyes to find myself on the floor of the chamber, now empty. The eyeball and bodies were nowhere to be seen.</p><p>I coughed in exhaustion.</p><p>“<em>Soldier? Are you all right?”</em></p><p>“…Wow. Yeah, I think I am.”</p><p>My sight was altered, though. I remained in the same chamber but everything appeared dim and ghostly, as if submerged deep underwater.</p><p>“My vision’s screwed but I’m all good.”</p><p>I put my hand forward to pick myself up.</p><p>I couldn’t see my hand.</p><p>I blinked in an attempt to clear my eyes. No, I <em>could </em>see my hand, it appeared translucent and almost invisible, as if made of incredibly clear glass. I turned to the rest of my body. It had the same quality.</p><p>“Colonel, you’re getting this, right?”</p><p>“<em>Amazing. This is way beyond any cloaking tech I’ve ever seen. Your radiant and reflected energy levels are almost zero! Visible light, infrared, UV, radio, Argent, you name it! They’re practically nothing!”</em></p><p>“Wait, so I’m actually invisible? This is not just X-ray vision?”</p><p>“<em>Negative, almost all environmental energy really is passing through you! How…why…? What are these readings I’m getting?</em></p><p>
  <em>…Disassociation. You’ve become partially disassociated from Hell’s physical reality!”</em>
</p><p>“What do you mean? Like, phase shifting?”</p><p>“<em>Yes! Phase shifting!”</em></p><p>“Not even the Elite Guards back at the Base had access to combat-grade phase shift tech.”</p><p>“<em>This might not be an intentional design. It might be a side effect of whatever else that thing did to you. I’m going to run some diagnostics and -”</em></p><p>“Wait, wait. I feel it’s wearing off.”</p><p>In a sudden flash, I snapped back to reality and my normal vision returned. I checked to make sure I was in one piece. My chest, my legs, my arms. My hands, with the sharp prongs of the Hemokinetic Module on one palm and a red-and-blue eyeball on the other.</p><p>“AAAAAAHHHHHH!!”</p><p>The eyeball was on my hand! Embedded in my right hand and staring right at me!</p><p>“GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF!!”</p><p>In my alarm I channeled some of my mana into my hand. The eye shone and I flashed back into partial disassociation.</p><p>
  <em>The eye…the eye is making me phase shift. Wha- How- Why?</em>
</p><p>I breathed heavily as I waited for the effect to wear off, which occurred again after a few moments. I grimaced before looking at my right hand, still desperately wishing that what I’d seen was just a hallucination from my rattled brain.</p><p>“Uhhh?” I cracked one eye open. The eyeball was still there.</p><p>“Ohhh....”</p><p>“<em>Is it a bad moment to say ‘I told you so’?”</em></p><p>I spun my hand around. The eye was visible from both sides and kept its gaze on me as I moved it around.</p><p>“That’s it.” I pulled the bronze dagger from my waist and raised it above my clenched arm. “I’m cutting the whole damn thing off!”</p><p>“<em>WOAH WOAH WOAH STOP!”</em></p><p>I forcefully gripped the knife and brought it down towards my other arm, but I stopped before the blade even touched me. Not out of indecision or because of Colonel Johnson’s insistence, but because the artifact was speaking to me.</p><p>“Huh?’</p><p>
  <em>…</em>
</p><p>“<em>Soldier?”</em></p><p>
  <em>…</em>
</p><p>“<em>John, what’s wrong?”</em></p><p>“The eyeball, sir. It’s whispering. I can hear it in my head. It’s talking to me.”</p><p>“<em>What’s it saying?”</em></p><p>I could feel a distinct presence acting on my mind, nudging me with thoughts and feelings not entirely my own. Fear, sorrow, loneliness, anger. If it spoke with words and definite language, I could not understand them, but I received vague sensations, feelings, and ideas that revealed its intent.</p><p>“Those beings that lived here, they died when their world was absorbed into Hell. Their bodies perished but they somehow managed to… preserve their souls within that orb, that…blur artifact.”</p><p>They say that the survivors who tried to escape were killed, killed by a monster that hunted them all down.”</p><p>A fleeting image of the creature flashed across my mind. Pinkish-grey skin oozing with slime, with sinew and blood vessels throbbing on the surface. I grimaced.</p><p>“It’s the monster. The big monster that’s roaming around this place.</p><p>They want revenge. Revenge against the creature that trapped them here and killed their people off.</p><p>They’ll lend me their strength. They want to help me.”</p><p>The Colonel said nothing. I continued to stare at the eye while ignoring the shivers it gave me, returning the same curious gaze with which it studied me. Strange and alien, but curious nonetheless.</p><p>
  <em>“How do we know we can trust it?”</em>
</p><p>The eye stared at me for a moment before emitting a peculiar glow.</p><p>“Uhhh!”</p><p>I winced as a piercing sensation suddenly fell upon my head, not excruciating but a nonetheless uncomfortable feeling accompanied by a shrill whistling noise.</p><p>As soon as it appeared the sensation vanished, and my mind felt somehow different, a bit more proper. As if a detached wire had been plugged in or a faulty component fixed. I opened my eyes.</p><p>Floating in my visual field were a series of bright digital diagrams like those of a heads-up display. There were three vertical bars in my lower left field of view – blue, red, and green – besides the rough outline of a person.</p><p>“Wait. Wait, I know that! That’s a physical integrity display like those on the mechs back at Mars!</p><p>Ha ha! That’s me, isn’t it?” I asked the alien eyeball. “That’s my physical integrity!”</p><p>The eyeball made a sudden bobbing motion, almost as if it were nodding.</p><p>“Ha ha! I thought my augmentations would include <em>some </em>type of heads-up display! Didn’t know why it wasn’t working!</p><p>That blue bar must be my overshield, and the red one should be my actual chassis. But what’s the green one?”</p><p>There was a small icon besides the green bar, what appeared to be a flaming skull.</p><p>“That’s my…that’s my Skullfire spell! That’s my current spell!”</p><p>I switched to Flame Wave and the icon changed to a wall of fire. I released the spell into the room and the green bar went down as my Argent energy reserves were used.</p><p>“That’s my mana reserves! Sick!”</p><p>I was ecstatic that I could finally track my resources instead of gauging them blindly. I turned to the display on my lower right, a set of five orange horizontal bars besides the icon of a machine gun. Curiously, the last two bars appeared darker than the other three.</p><p>“That’s my current weapon and ammo pools, but why are the last two bars darker…</p><p>The empty weapon modules! I can still add two more weapon systems to my platforms, that’s why!</p><p>And what’s this thing?”</p><p>The last display was on my upper left field, a circle with a bright center point that produced spreading waves. It reminded me of-</p><p>“Radar! That’s my radar device! Or…what is it, Colonel? A motion tracker?”</p><p>“<em>Your chassis does include a short-range radar system that tracks nearby movement and maps the local environmental structure, yes.”</em></p><p>“Ha ha! Now we’re cooking with gas!</p><p>What do you think, Colonel? Should we keep this thing or not?”</p><p>Colonel Johnson remained silent for a moment before finally sighing.</p><p>“<em>Your call, soldier.”</em></p><p>I clenched my fists, and the eye gleamed with anticipation.</p><p>“Let’s do this.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>“Taylor, why the hell aren’t we moving?!”</p><p>Rogers’ harsh shouting snapped Ruby back to her senses.</p><p>“We’ve got a problem here! Our navigation systems are being jammed! We can’t launch!”</p><p>“WHAT?”</p><p>The Lieutenant loudly trampled over to the shuttle cabin.</p><p>“WHAT DO YOU MEAN <em>WE CAN’T LAUNCH?</em>”</p><p>Rogers’ gaze drifted to the error message on the dashboard, standing in stunned silence for several seconds before he managed to respond.</p><p>“WHAT THE HELL’S THE MEANING OF THIS?”</p><p>“The air control network’s offline and the shuttle’s nav computer is down-”</p><p>“ARE YOU SAYING WE’RE <em>STUCK </em>HERE, IS THAT IT?”</p><p>Romero stepped into the cabin.</p><p>“What’s going on here?”</p><p>“WE CAN’T LAUNCH! WE’RE GROUNDED! WE’RE STUCK HERE WITH THOSE THINGS HUNTING US DOWN AND OUR THUMBS UP OUR ASSES!”</p><p>An anxious Reeves was drawn in by the commotion.</p><p>“Is it true?! We can’t fly?!”</p><p>Ruby sighed in exasperation and brought her face down to her hands as her racing thoughts drowned out the raucous sounds of discussion.</p><p>If the Base-wide flight network was down there was nothing they could do about it. They might be able to get the shuttle’s computer back online for manual control but only if they removed the source of interference, the foreign signal which jammed its navigation systems.</p><p>Which originated in the Lazarus Labs. The source of this entire disaster and without a doubt the most infested sector in the entire planet. They’d be dead long before they even set foot in the Labs.</p><p>They’d even left their helmets back at the lab entrance, only Ruby still wore her own. ‘Leave them,’ she said when the demons arrived as they prepared to stretch their legs. It wouldn’t have been a problem had they taken off for the Spaceport, docked with an escape ship and taken off, but that was no longer possible. Their only hope of escape was to head into the heart of enemy territory. Without helmets.</p><p>Harrison was dead. She’d seen their dark magic on his legs before he perished; it had passed through his armor and crippled his ability to run.</p><p>
  <em>They exploited his arthritis. Induced it, amplified it. They used it to kill him.</em>
</p><p>She recalled how her pulse rifle had failed to fire right before his death. She’d dismissed the incident as the clip running empty and there being no time to reload, but curious she brought her firearm over for closer examination.</p><p>Ruby’s heart sank when she discovered the clip was not only half full, but that the pulse rifle’s shell was already engraved with several fiery symbols. There were only a few but the corruption would surely spread and get worse. If that incident had simply been a misfire, before long the rifle would become useless, or worse, a hazard to Ruby herself.</p><p>
  <em>No. No, this can’t be happening.</em>
</p><p>All of them were potential points of failure. Reeves had pulmonary fibrosis, Romero had heart and problems, Rogers was a walking powder keg, and Ruby’s entire capacity depended on a flimsy piece of metal and plastic embedded in her brain that was just short of expired. She could feel her focus waning by the second, her mind filling with static like a glass with boiling water.</p><p>The team’s equipment was failing. Their bodies were failing, and judging by the deranged shouts behind her, their minds were starting to as well. If they didn’t figure something out, it wouldn’t matter if the demons found them or not, because they’d already be dead regardless.</p><p>She had no idea what to do.</p><p>“Agent! Agent!”</p><p>It was Romero.</p><p>“You need to get a word out. Send a message to your command and get immediate evac on our position. Say what you have to, anything it takes! It’s the only way we make it out in time.”</p><p>Ruby sighed in defeat as she rested her face on her hand.</p><p>“There is no evac,” she quietly muttered.</p><p>Romero opened his mouth to respond but abruptly stopped.</p><p>“T-there…,” Reeves struggled to enunciate. “T-there is no-”</p><p>“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE IS NO EVAC?”</p><p>Ruby had had enough of Rogers’ attitude. She slammed her hand on the dashboard and stormed up from her chair to reply with a tone as cold and sharp as ice.</p><p>“I MEAN THERE IS NO ONE COMING TO GET US BECAUSE THERE IS NO ONE OUT THERE. EVERY HUMAN BEING THAT COULD HAVE HELPED US IS EITHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS OR <em>DEAD.</em></p><p>THE ONLY ONES LEFT ARE VEGA AND THAT BASTARD HAYDEN, WHO WILL UNDER <em>NO CIRCUMSTANCES </em>ALLOW US TO LEAVE THIS PLANET.</p><p>WE ARE, IN EVERY POSSIBLE SENSE, ON OUR OWN.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>
  <em>HERE LIES THE FINAL RESTING PLACE OF THE HELLWALKER, THE WARRIOR KHAN, THE SCOURGE OF HELL</em>
</p><p>
  <em>KILLER OF GODS, SLAYER OF TITANS</em>
</p><p>
  <em>THE ONE KNOWN AS THE DOOM SLAYER</em>
</p><p>
  <em>HE LIES IN THE HEART OF THE BLACK PYRAMID BEYOND, VICTIM TO THE BLACK SACRIFICE THAT SUNDERED COUNTLESS KINGDOMS AND UNTOLD LEGIONS TO CONTAIN HIS INSATIABLE RAGE</em>
</p><p>
  <em>MAY THE COST OF SUCH TERRIBLE SACRIFICE BE NOT IN VAIN</em>
</p><p>
  <em>MAY SUCH FEARSOME POWER NEVER BE RELEASED</em>
</p><p>
  <em>MAY THE DOOM SLAYER NEVER WAKE AGAIN</em>
</p><p>The Slayer keenly whistled.</p><p>That explained a few things.</p><p>He stood on a massive artificial construct floating among the dark mountains, its smooth black metallic surface etched with bright green symbols and fissures. Most obvious on the structure was the Slayer’s very own Mark, occupying the greater part of its face and veritably pulsating with the accumulated fear and dread of countless demons.</p><p>He frowned and lowered himself to the surface, placing his hand on the glowing Mark with curiosity. The manipulation of psychic energies wasn’t his specialty, but fear was a powerful tool and one that he knew better than to disregard.</p><p>He drew the psychic energies accumulated on the construct into his hand, focusing them into a single coherent nexus. The energies congealed and solidified, taking the form of a smooth black totem in the Slayer’s hand, engraved with his own blazing Mark.</p><p>NEW BOOST SYNTHESIZED – SLAYER IDOL</p><p>FILL MINDS AND HEARTS OF DEMONS WITH BLINDING TERROR</p><p>EFFECTS EXPIRE AFTER ONE MINUTE</p><p>FABRICATION COST – 7 CALIBRATION CYCLES</p><p>The physical manifestation of demons’ fear given form.</p><p>Besides the palpable terror imprinted on the marker, the Slayer could again make out the faint whispers of human conversation. He put the totem away into his Suit’s storage and widened his senses once more to make out the impressions of the human travelers.</p><p>It was Hayden and the two red guards, who’d landed on the great construct. The cyborg was closely inspecting the inscribed metallic surface while one of the guards tended to their companion, kneeled over in apparent pain. Suddenly, the healthy guard looked up and raced towards Hayden.</p><p>“<em>Dr. Hayden! The continuum generators have failed and the camp’s metaphysical integrity has been lost! It’s gone, sir!”</em></p><p>“<em>…The protective runes weren’t properly applied. Our time is running out.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“What do we do now, sir?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Complete the mission. We abandon the camp, head to the tomb. We’ll set up the portal device there.</em>
</p><p><em>And leave him,” </em>Hayden gestured towards the dying soldier as he climbed back onto the ship. “<em>He’s useless now.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Sir.”</em>
</p><p>The images faded as the Slayer returned his focus to the now and to the remains of the deceased guard resting on the black metal, now little more than a charcoal-like mass melted onto the marker.</p><p>He squinted. There was a small scarlet halo spinning above the chest of the fallen guard. Walking over to it, he discovered it to be a protective sigil surrounding some sort of data chip which had been mounted within the guard’s chestplate. The chip was intact. The Slayer kneeled down and pulled the chip out from what remained of the guard, which trailed ash and a thick viscous substance.</p><p>So the red UAC guards had been to Hell, the Slayer mused as he dusted off the chip. They existed in low numbers, supervised a Hell expedition, carried unidentified weaponry, and even answered directly to Hayden, so presumably they were significant figures in Mars’ chain of command.</p><p>Sixty-one thousand people dead. A company didn’t get sixty-one thousand workers on a freezing poisonous death planet if they knew they could die at the hands of demons. And sure enough, there hadn’t been indications that the workers knew the true nature of what was happening on Mars, even if they were aware of strange occurrences. He was sure an excuse of “unexplained crossdimensional phenomena” must have placated most inquisitive minds. Shit, he himself had heard that excuse since before Phobos! Back when the UAC first claimed jurisdictional authority over Mars and its moons.</p><p>Hayden said the Mars Base provided energy for Earth, which he’d seen via the Argent Tower. The “Altar” to their “Faith.”</p><p>
  <em>Opening the gates of Hell with the key to the future!</em>
</p><p>Hmmm. The Argent Tower was clearly a critical resource in the UAC’s energy process regardless, which wouldn’t be operated by average workers but special personnel. The “faithful advocates.” Advocates…who were taught about the demons? Recruited for classified experiments? Brought to Hell on manned expeditions? Whatever this faith was, few must have known it existed, with fewer still a part of it.</p><p>This Lazarus Project must have been the primary hub for the UAC’s Hell-related research on Mars. Directed by Olivia Pierce, overseen by Samuel Hayden. Without a doubt a highly classified and confidential division into which very few would be granted access, and the red guards were clearly a crucial part of it. The Slayer turned to the data chip in his hand. It resembled a key.</p><p>He casually raised an eyebrow and moved the chip into the Praetor Suit’s storage.</p><p>All things considered, the Slayer thought as he stood up, it was tremendously astounding that falling into the Martian Fracture had dropped him so close to the precise location in Hell he’d been entombed in. It was even more impressive that the UAC managed to find him, let alone successfully extract him. And Hayden even survived the trip! They could have never carried out this operation with twenty-second century man-made technology alone. The UAC must have come into possession of certainly powerful artifacts.</p><p>Someone must be watching over him.</p><p>The Slayer coolly dismissed the naive thought to bring up his automap. The display showed the great shadow of a Blood Storm drifting towards the Pyramid, with the Basilisks and other local beasts moving to avoid its path. Meanwhile, the Parasite Moons continued mindlessly drifting through their feeding grounds.</p><p>He aloofly scoffed. Blood Storm, Blood Knights, Blood Keep, blood this, blood that. No thanks to Abaddon, the most aggressive Elder God and the dominant power across the Shores of Hell. Devoted to war, senseless slaughter, and the spillage of blood. It was his warriors who most frequently breached into the mortal universe, and he was one of the few beings the Slayer had a personal animosity with.</p><p>Not that the other four were much better. He despised the filth which Beelzebub produced and his spawn spread everywhere, and just thinking about Mæphisto gave him a headache. Thankfully, the Slayer could tolerate the much more restrained reaches of the last three.</p><p>Except for <em>her.</em></p><p>His pulse surged as he recalled her. Penetrating eyes, ensnaring black claws, pearly white fangs, and tender red lacerated flesh. Throbbing with desire, dripping with sin.</p><p>The Slayer scowled in disgust.</p><p>One day…one day he’d crush the hearts of the Elder Gods and watch the light fade from their eyes.</p><p>He turned his attention to the red icons situated around his position as displayed on the automap. A pack of dark and pyroimps would soon pass by the marker as they fled the Blood Storm. A non-concern. A nest of Hellions were also emerging from their nests in the sector’s planetary shards, long and savage demons that reminded him of centipedes.</p><p>If centipedes could reach upwards of four meters in length. Ugh.</p><p>Bugs were revolting but nothing he couldn’t deal with. Three mancubi slowly but surely closing in.</p><p>The Slayer raised an eyebrow.</p><p>Mancubi were big but he’d fought bigger. Nevertheless, he began calculating an optimal route he could use to cross the unstable environment.</p><p>And a swarm of adult Basilisks headed straight for him.</p><p>…Now that might be a problem.</p><p>The Slayer switched off the automap and equipped his assault rifle. He’d much rather take a long hot shower in the corrosive rain of a Blood Storm than have to deal with Basilisks, particularly in his currently weakened state. If he moved quickly, perhaps he could lose them in the storm.</p><p>But how would he cross it? The Praetor Suit and even his body could resist most of Hell’s destructive metaphysics but Blood Storms were immensely powerful. He’d never make it through unprotected before it killed him, and with a horde hot on his heels he wasn’t going to wait for it to pass. The only reasonable solution he could think of was…ugh. Not going to be pleasant.</p><p>He leapt off the marker and soared towards the next dark mountain floating in the sanguine sky, with harsh shrieks echoing behind him. Landing on the shattered landmass, the Slayer broke into a full-blown sprint as the imps arrived at his position. <em>BANG! BANG! BANG! </em>He opened fire but rushed past them without stopping, cleaving a path through their ranks and swerving around their fireballs as he headed for the next edge.</p><p>Something was about to emerge from the ground right as his feet. The Slayer charged a Blood Punch and swerved at the last possible second, dodging the leaping attack of viciously clawed Hellion as it emerged from the rocky soil and eviscerating it with the focused blow. <em>POWW! </em>He raced towards the edge of the mountain while strafing to avoid the leaping attacks of a dozen more Hellions and jumped off.</p><p>“<em>ROAH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH!”</em></p><p>The Slayer spun around to find the serrated shape of an adult Basilisk, six hundred meters of scale and teeth, slithering through the sky towards him at full speed, its semi-physical body segments appearing and disappearing in sequential fashion as it warped across Hell’s reality. Its great maw, lined with row after row of black spiked teeth and flanked by massive mandibles, was wide open and reaching for him. Crimson bolts of arcane lightning crackled within its throat.</p><p>Firing his jump pack at full capacity to force himself out of the beast’s path, The Slayer equipped his rocket launcher as fast as he could and shot a rocket into the Basilisk’s open mouth before remotely detonating it. <em>BOOM!! </em>The rocket exploded against its jaw, too weak to do any real damage but the Basilisk faltered and broke off its attack, changing trajectory away from the Slayer. He sped away from the veering monster but one of its great mandibles struck him as it swerved, throwing him into the next continental shard and bringing his ARMOR down to 27.</p><p>Furious, the Slayer landed on the next landmass and continued running as soon as he hit the ground. The Basilisks would circle around, try to catch him by surprise around the edge or perhaps even tunnel through the mountain right beneath him, swimming through the solid rock as easily as a shark through water. He needed to keep moving if he wanted to avoid-</p><p>“<em>ROOARR-WAAHH!”</em></p><p>A Mancubus.</p><p>The Slayer swerved at breakneck speed before he entered the festering territory of the hulking demon, a grotesque seven-meter-tall monstrosity and the greater Hellspawn of Beelzebub which aimed its arm cannons at him and unleashed a wave of flaming bile, filling the skies with noxious gas and reducing the chasing packs of imps to dark sludge on the Hellscape. He equipped his plasma rifle and opened fire at the giant beast as he ran to put distance between him and it. <em>ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP! T</em>he few plasmoids that hit did little damage to the demon’s thick armor. Only its small cycloptic head and grotesquely engorged, scarred stomach were left exposed. The Slayer leapt off towards the next mountain and glanced at the Mancubus as it raised its bony second pair of arms, tucked beneath its main pair, and opened a summoning circle from which two cacodemons drifted out. At once these turned towards the Slayer and began barraging his position with lightning strikes as the Mancubus launched flaming orbs, fast as missiles, which exploded in his wake and ate away at the very mountain with caustic acid. With little room to maneuver between the decaying mountain and further incoming fireballs, the Slayer willed a command unto the Hellscape and produced a stone barrier to block the Mancubus’s attacks. The barrier blocked the fireballs and began melting away beneath the vile putrefaction, but the Slayer was already on the move.</p><p>Leaping into the open air, he switched to his new D12 chaingun and aimed the barrel. He put his hand on the handle, feeling the whirr of the motor for the briefest moment before pulling the trigger.</p><p>
  <em>RATATATATATATAT!!</em>
</p><p>The sound was a cacophony of thunder, each round a fiery bolt of lightning that roared across the landscape and brought down the Slayer’s vengeance onto the vile creatures of Hell.</p><p>Thirty-millimeter, tungsten-forged, uranium-coated vengeance.</p><p>In another person’s hands, such rounds could take down an aircraft or puncture an armored vehicle.</p><p>In the Slayer hands, these rounds passed through the hides of Cacodemons and the thick armor of the Mancubus, shredding their internal organs and eviscerating the Cacos into moist blue meat as the Mancubus raised its arm cannons in a futile attempt to shield itself.</p><p>“<em>ROOARR-WAAHH!”</em></p><p>He got distracted.</p><p>He neglected his surroundings and failed to notice the second Mancubus taking aim at him until it was too late. Its repugnant rockets soared through the sanguine sky and exploded against the Slayer.</p><p>0 ARMOR, 143 HEALTH.</p><p>FILTHY BAG OF FESTERING SHIT!!</p><p>The Slayer switched to his rocket launcher in fury and blasted round after round at the culprit demon, jumping off the mountain and towards the Mancubus to improve his aim. <em>BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!</em></p><p>He was just wasting ammo. Rockets were too slow for such a distance and even their blasts missed the monster.</p><p>“<em>ROAH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH!”</em></p><p>Another Basilisk charged at the Slayer and he moved out of the way of its mandibles, switching to and firing the chaingun to force the beast off its attack.</p><p>“<em>ROOARR-WAAHH!”</em></p><p>He’d entered the putrid Hellscape surrounding the third and final Mancubus. He quickly equipped the autoshotgun and opened fire as the acid ate through his HEALTH, only narrowly avoided a stream of short-range but viciously caustic vomit from the demon as he sped away. A series of bright blue flashes from the corner of his eyes indicated the two new Mancubi had just summoned Cacos of their own.</p><p>A dark blot in the distance drew his attention. The snaking trickles of black rivers seeping into the Sanctum, like capillary tubes in tissue, as the Blood Storm encroached upon the region, lightning flashing across its deathly rains.</p><p>The situation was not faring well for the Slayer. He was unequipped to confront three mancubi on top of a Basilisk pack and the fractured environment was difficult to simply navigate.</p><p>Only one thing left to do.</p><p>He changed direction towards the nearest Mancubus while keeping an eye on an approaching Basilisk.</p><p>If there was a dirty trick the Slayer learned in the countless eons spent in Hell, it was that if he was outgunned, outnumbered, and outmatched…</p><p>The Mancubus aimed its arm cannons at the charging Slayer as the Basilisk opened its colossal maw.</p><p>…<em>HE COULD ALWAYS MAKE THE DEMONS KILL EACH OTHER INSTEAD!</em></p><p>Taking care to avoid the bubbling pools of caustic offal in the demon’s vicinity, the Slayer raised his hand and launched a stun bomb at the monster, which struck and forced the creature into spasms of electrified agony. He jumped and clambered onto the demon’s shoulders before the stun wore off and forced his hand between the armored plates at the back of its neck, grabbing hold of the creature’s thick spinal cord. With simple but focused psionic commands, he forced the Mancubus to ignore him and raise its cannons to the charging Basilisk. The gargantuan beast obeyed and launched a wave of burning acid directly into the Basilisk’s open mouth. The serpentine monster broke off with a pained roar, its mouth and sides blazing with sickly yellow flames as the Mancubus’s filth ate through its shell.</p><p>Determined to get as much use as possible out of the Mancubus before it broke free of his psychic command, the Slayer turned it towards the rest of the demonic multitude. Another swell of flaming bile melted away imps and Cacodemons as even the mountain rotted away with putrescent decay. In his last moments of command, the Slayer forced the Mancubus to launch its missiles at its brethren. He caught the brief glimpse of the fireballs striking their two targets and the furious roar of the Mancubi before he leapt off his mount and rushed away through a bog of acid.</p><p>127 HEALTH.</p><p>Mancubi could resist the corrosive acids from their kin or themselves, but they were not invulnerable to any demonic attack and the three Mancubi were now inescapably infighting, and the injured Basilisk would coordinate with its pack to attack them as well. This diversion would give the Slayer enough time to complete his other reluctant goal: get the Basilisks to fight each other.</p><p>He turned his gaze to the nearest Basilisk, a monstrous beast snaking through the sky with its pack trying to get close to the Mancubi which rained all sorts of corrosive attacks on them. Their very bodies snaked through invisible planes of Hell’s reality, segments phasing and unphasing in sequential manner and leaving the caustic bile behind. This allowed them to control the limits of their injuries but also meant the Slayer couldn’t keep his grip if he aimed for the body.</p><p>If he wanted to grab a hold of a Basilisk, he thought as he eyed a trajectory and leapt off the Hellscape, he needed to go for the head!</p><p>He landed on his mark and dug his hands into one of the massive horns fringing the beast’s head. The bewildered beast violently shook and spun into the sky trying to shake him off, but the Slayer’s grip was like iron, and in its craze the Basilisk inadvertently struck a packmate with a mandible.</p><p>“<em>ROAH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH!”</em></p><p>The offended beast reared around and slashed at his Basilisk with its great jaw, sending great chunks of shell and bloody tissue flying. The Slayer took the chance to jump off amidst the rain of organic debris before he got caught in the Basilisks’ brawl. He was headed straight for the Mancubi but noticed all three were heavily injured from their altercation, their exterior armor almost entirely eroded and their entrails festering in great steaming pools.</p><p>He grabbed one of the pieces of shell closest to him – a thick scale as large as him with viciously sharp edges – and flung it at the nearest Mancubi like a Hellish frisbee before equipping his chaingun. The scale struck the Mancubus on the shoulder and passed through shell and bone with no resistance, slicing the entire arm clean off. The monster roared in fury before the Slayer brought down a hail of incendiary armor-piercing rounds upon it. <em>RATATATATATAT!! </em>In a matter of moments the Mancubus exploded in a swell of shell, blood, and fire, its volatile entrails catching fire and blanketing the area in flaming fluids.</p><p>One down but the Slayer had twelve bullets left and there were still two Mancubi standing, now keenly tracking him with raised arms and fuming eyes. Best make them count!</p><p>Sticking the landing on the landmass, he switched to the HAR and stared down the tactical scope, charging a precision bolt and aiming for the armored plate on the second Mancubus’s chest. He did his best to avoid the blazing pools of bile from the first Mancubus, but his vision was limited as he lined up his shot and his HEALTH ticked down to 94. He locked his target and pulled the trigger. <em>POW! </em>The Mancubus unleashed a fresh wave of acid and he swerved hard to dodge it, and the shot strayed far into the nothing.</p><p>DAMN IT!</p><p>“<em>ROOARR-WAAHH!”</em></p><p>The Slayer was drawing close to the Mancubus. He had six bullets left, enough for one more precision bolt. He raised the rifle again, aimed for the chest plate, and fired. <em>POW!</em> The shot hit and the Mancubus recoiled from the impact, its chest plate shattering to reveal a revolting beating heart covered with cysts and pustules.</p><p>His objective completed, the Slayer leapt at the Mancubus to close the distance as he brandished his chainsaw, swinging the blade across its scarred flabby stomach and setting loose a wave of blood, guts, and other unpleasant viscera upon himself. The Slayer grimaced in bitter revulsion, but the Praetor Suit turned the deluge of entrails into a deluge of munitions. Full bullets, plasma, and rockets.</p><p>The act of mutilation had cost only three of the chainsaw’s five batteries, clearly not enough to kill the Mancubus as it roared in deafening agony, but the Slayer had not intended it to in order to save the chainsaw. As the demon buckled in pain, the Slayer climbed onto it to reach into its gaping chest cavity, rip out its heart and shove it down its open mouth. The Mancubus groaned in tormented bewilderment before bursting in a blast of organs. 15 ARMOR, 113 HEALTH. The Slayer was covered in a fresh wave of steaming entrails but not before he grabbed one of the Mancubus’s arm cannons.</p><p>He promptly aimed the severed cannon towards the last remaining Mancubus and manually triggered it, blasting a swelling wave of flaming acid onto the demon. The Mancubus groaned as the acid ate through armor and flesh, melting them into thick blubbery sludge, but attacks of its own nature wouldn’t be as effective against it as they would be against other demons. The Slayer launched a fireball, and one after another, but Mancubi were tough and the Slayer’s stolen cannon was out of juice. He tossed the useless arm away as he glanced at the thundering black clouds rolling across the sky. The Blood Storm was almost on him. He was running out of time.</p><p>He turned to the Basilisk pack tearing themselves apart in the sanguine sky and grimaced as he raised a middle finger in their direction.</p><p>The nearest Basilisk roared in aggravation and broke off from the frenzy towards the Slayer. He eyed the beast as he strafed around the fireballs from the Mancubus. He only had one shot. He turned and Rampaged straight for the hulking demon.</p><p>The Basilisk opened its maw in a charging attack and the Mancubus shot a missile right at the Slayer.</p><p>Wait…<em>wait…</em>NOW!</p><p>The Slayer raised his Bracer at the last possible moment and cleanly caught the missile in his hand, immediately throwing it at the Basilisk. The fireball struck its side and the Basilisk roared as it switched target, turning away from the Slayer and towards the Mancubus which it thought had attacked. The Mancubus gazed upwards in briefest confusion before the Basilisk crashed into the mountain and swallowed the demon whole, with the Slayer firmly clenched to its mandible.</p><p>The Slayer clung to the back of the horn as the Basilisk burrowed through the landmass before crashing through the other surface. Half the sky was now beneath the black shadow and crimson lightning of the Blood Storm, which thundered and rained heavily against the Slayer’s body and senses, the flashes piercing through his eyes and the rain wearing down his ARMOR.</p><p>Even though a Basilisk’s shell had limited resistance against Blood Storms, they couldn’t navigate them. But the Slayer could with his automap. If he stole a bit of this Basilisk’s shell now, he could leap off it and lose it in the Storm. He forced his hands beneath one of the massive scales, positioned himself to get a stable footing, and pried it off with a rough heave.</p><p>“<em>ROAH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH!”</em></p><p>With both hands gripping the scale the Slayer was thrown off as the beast threshed in fury. He firmly clenched the scale and raised it to shield himself from the deadly rain.</p><p>“<em>ROAH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH!”</em></p><p>The Slayer turned to find a colossal and very indignant Basilisk charging for him, its mandibles open and crackling with malevolent hunger.</p><p>Oh shit.</p><p>“<em>ROAH AH AH-”</em></p><p>“<em>ROOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHH!”</em></p><p>Another Basilisk charged through the darkness and bit clean through the first one, striking at the base of the neck and severing its head from the rest of the body. The body segments sputtered in and out of physical being before finally solidifying and detaching in death, and the arcane energy in the Basilisk’s maw faded away until it was as dark as the Storm surrounding it. The second Basilisk let out one last echoing howl before slithering away into the distance.</p><p>The Slayer let out the sigh he hadn’t even realized he was holding in.</p><p>He brought up his automap one last time to check for enemies. All clear, and he studied the Blood Storm’s density between him and the Black Pyramid. There were a few pockets of lower density he could traverse to limit his exposure.</p><p>107 HEALTH. He would need every last bit of it.</p><p>All of Hell probably knew already of the Slayer’s presence and whereabouts. He’d be lucky if he didn’t find a welcome party at the Pyramid. Or worse, if the UAC’s portal device at the tomb was sabotaged before he arrived. He had to hurry while the Storm was still in the sector.</p><p>He kept the automap display up, for his normal vision was useless in the Storm and he didn’t want to draw attention with his Clearsight. He manipulated the nearby disjointed landmasses into a more traversable landscape and, after adjusting his grip on the Basilisk scale to better shield himself from the Storm, set off towards the Pyramid.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>I stepped before the gate that led from the hidden chambers and out into the rest of the maze. I focused some of my mana into the strange eyeball embedded in my hand and phase shifted just as the door slid open.</p><p>My vision immediately became dim and blurry as the effect turned active, but I could still perceive the rough surfaces of the walls and corners. I checked my new radar display for any sign of movement. Nothing.</p><p>“Coast is clear.”</p><p>I hurried along at a brisk pace, anxious to get out of this godforsaken place but careful not to make too much noise. I imagined the many masses dropping from the walls onto the puddles could hide the sound of my footsteps, but I still felt uncertain to wager my life on it. Not that I could hear them.</p><p>
  <em>My hearing. It gets muted too.</em>
</p><p>I could still hear some sounds but these too became greatly muffled while the phase shift was active, so I looked down to make sure I didn’t walk across the puddles. I was very clearly stepping on the shallow pools that stretched across the hallways, but I wasn’t making any splashes or ripples.</p><p>
  <em>Huh. Must be phasing through the liquid.</em>
</p><p>I picked up the pace to exploit the few seconds I had of my newfound power before the effect wore off.</p><p>“Uh,” I grunted as I phased back to normal reality and loudly splashed on a puddle.</p><p>“<em>You’re almost there, keep going.”</em></p><p>“Should I keep phasing till I get there?”</p><p>“<em>Well, this effect does consume a bit of your Argent energy reserves each time you use it. Your energy regenerates but…I’d suggest you save it for your spells.”</em></p><p>“If we get there sooner, I won’t need them,” I replied while triggering the phase shift again and rushing down the hall.</p><p>“<em>Okay, here. Turn left.”</em></p><p>I followed the Colonel’s direction and turned into a corridor indistinguishable from any other. I followed that hallway before skidding to a halt before one of the adjacent walls.</p><p>It was transparent.</p><p>”Colonel, why is this wall transparent?”</p><p>Even with my senses greatly dulled with the phase shift, I could tell that I was effectively seeing through the wall in front of me, very clearly able to see the shape and outline of the room behind it. There was a stack of short cylindrical barrels on one side of the room, filled with some dark oily fluid that seemed to shimmer in my phased state.</p><p>
  <em>What the hell is that?</em>
</p><p>“<em>Err…transparent? Seriously?</em></p><p>
  <em>I’m taking some scans here…it’s a rock wall, same composition and density as all the others around you. It’s relatively thin but nothing special besides that.”</em>
</p><p>Something harrowingly bellowed in the distance. It was the monster, howling in the direction of the chamber I’d come out of.</p><p>“<em>Get a move on, soldier,” </em>the Colonel urged quietly. I did as instructed.</p><p>
  <em>“Keep going. Make a right after the next two junctions.”</em>
</p><p>I ran along as I followed the Colonel’s escape route, taking note of more clear walls in my phased state to contrast from the other dark and opaque surfaces.</p><p>
  <em>Some of the walls appear clear but not others…they appear clear when I’m phasing…Why? What does that mean? Thin walls, thin walls. Is that somehow relevant?</em>
</p><p>“<em>John, your phase shift is about to give out.”</em></p><p>“I’ll just hit it again!”</p><p>I focused mana into the blur artifact once more before the effect wore off, and the surge of power from the artifact signaled that the phase shift was restarted. Just as I contemplated that I could retrigger the effect while it was still active, I turned the indicated corner and beheld a group of bright ethereal shapes scattered throughout the corridor. I opened fire with my machine guns out of reflex and to my surprise the rounds exploded against the nearest of the creatures and ripped it to shreds. The group turned in my direction and moved on the offensive.</p><p>
  <em>I can even attack while in phase shift!</em>
</p><p>I pulled and activated my spear to preserve the last of my mana and charged.</p><p>I dashed through the group; shooting, slashing, and stabbing at the ghostly figures while avoiding the slime globs and fireballs they spat, although it was evident that they were shooting blindly. They couldn’t see me while my phase shift was active.</p><p>
  <em>Wait a moment…these are the same creatures from earlier! This is how they appear while I’m in phase shift!</em>
</p><p>I thrust my spear into the heart of one beast and forced it up to split its head, dashed to the side to avoid an incoming slime ball while slashing at another creature and cutting its head off, before leaping into the air and bringing the spear down on another to slice it in half, all while keenly shooting down the many flying critters swarming around me.</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!”</em></p><p>I immediately faltered as my blood ran cold. Glancing at my radar, I could see a large white dot moving fast in my direction. The other creatures I’d been fighting scampered off towards the shadows as they heard the monster approaching.</p><p>“<em>GET OUT OF THERE! RUN!”</em></p><p>I collapsed my spear and hung it on my side as I bolted through the hall at full speed, listening to the thunderous splashes echo in the distance.</p><p>I had enough mana remaining for one more phase shift. I needed to save it in case bad turned to worse.</p><p>“<em>Straight! Keep going straight!”</em></p><p>
  <em>Will the invisibility work on the big critter? Oh God, I don’t know, I don’t know…</em>
</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!”</em></p><p>Something entered the corridor directly behind me and roared. I turned to spot something huge and pale in the distance.</p><p>“OH SHIT.”</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!”</em></p><p>I raced down the hall as fast as I could.</p><p>“<em>FASTER! MOVE FASTER, SOLDIER!”</em></p><p>The thing continued to give chase. I could hear the echoing splashes its footsteps get closer as I pushed my body to its limit. It was too fast, far faster than me.</p><p>“<em>JOHN! THAT THING’S RIGHT ON YOUR ASS!”</em></p><p>Something struck me again, a glob of mucus that stuck me to the ground just as I heard something leap.</p><p>“<em>JOOOHN!”</em></p><p>I immediately triggered the phase shift and dropped to the ground at the last possible moment, freeing myself as I phased through my restraints.</p><p>The thing was barely visible through the visual distortions of the phase shift but I could still behold its size, as long and wide as a bus. It had a multitude of gangly limbs with no clear symmetry or reason all over its body, and many soft fleshy masses hanging everywhere throughout its skin.</p><p>It was then that I realized the implications of the pinkish slimy skin I had previously glimpsed.</p><p>
  <em>Oh God…it’s inside-out…the whole thing is inside-out!</em>
</p><p>The beast landed in front of me as it completed its leaping trajectory, faintly growling as it passed through the space it thought I would be in. I switched to my missile launchers and opened fire on where I presumed its head was, hearing its muffled agonized roars and seeing splatters of bright red blood before scrambling to my feet and racing down the corridor.</p><p>“<em>WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”</em></p><p>“I AM GETTING THE HELL OUT!”</p><p>“<em>THE EXIT IS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION!”</em></p><p>I ignored the Colonel’s orders and kept running, desperate to put as much space between me and the monster while my phase shift was still active. I heard a faint snarling behind me before the creature continued its chase. Though its chase sounded much slower, as though it couldn’t quite track my movements.</p><p>
  <em>It can’t see me…it can’t fully see me while I’m phasing…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Turn right! Turn here to get back on the right route!”</em>
</p><p>The wall, the clear wall in front of me.</p><p>I passed by the turn the Colonel told me to take.</p><p>“<em>WHAT ARE YOU DOING!”</em></p><p>The eyeball was whispering to me. The wall, behind the wall.</p><p>“It’s a leap of faith!”</p><p>“<em>IT’S A DEAD END!”</em></p><p>There were no other junctions in the hallway I was running down. Nothing but a solid rock wall in front of me and a monstrous beast behind me. The wall appeared clear in my phase shift, revealing a small room with dark barrels behind it. I had seconds left on my phase shift.</p><p>Jump. I had to jump.</p><p>
  <em>“JOHN!”</em>
</p><p>“AAAHHH!!”</p><p>I jumped and phased through the solid rock wall in the blink of an eye just as the phase shift wore off. Something large crashed heavily against the other side of the rock wall, shaking the ground and stirring up dust from the wall.</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!”</em></p><p>I panted heavily as my heart felt like beating out of my chest.</p><p>“<em>Incredible…I thought the walls were too dense for you to phase through!</em></p><p>
  <em>They’re thin, that’s why! The clear walls are thin enough to let you quantum tunnel through with the phase shift!”</em>
</p><p>At that moment I couldn’t give half a rat’s ass for the physical mechanics of phase shifting. I had just brushed with certain death again after God-knows-how-many-times and was struggling to retain my composure. Both my mind and body were exhausted beyond belief and I was almost at my breaking point.</p><p>“I’m never going to get out of here with that thing out there,” I frustratedly blurted out while staring at the stack of dark barrels in the corner.</p><p>“<em>We’ll figure something out. Maybe lead it to the other side of the maze and phase through the walls while running like hell?”</em></p><p>“My energy doesn’t recharge quickly enough to get me through this whole place in one run!”</p><p>
  <em>“Of course, of course…”</em>
</p><p>“All right!” I shouted while angrily standing up. “What the hell is in these barrels?!”</p><p>I walked over to the corner and the stack of barrels, worn and rusted containers marked with dents and splotches of some black fluid. I rubbed my fingers across one of the stains on top of a barrel, carrying away a thick tar-like substance that sheened like oil.</p><p>“<em>What is that.”</em></p><p>The alien eye on my hand whispered the answer.</p><p>“Fuel. Fuel for the original inhabitants’ machines.”</p><p>“<em>Fuel? What kind of fuel?”</em></p><p>“…<em>Explosive</em> fuel.”</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!”</em></p><p>The thing roared from the other side of the wall, and an idea formed in my head.</p><p>“You thinking what I’m thinking?”</p><p>
  <em>“You’re crazy.”</em>
</p><p>“Haha! Maybe I am!” I hysterically replied while lifting one of the barrels to assess its weight. It was lighter than I expected.</p><p>“I’m stuck in Hell in a cyborg body, shooting magic shit at actual demons while trying not to get eaten by a huge monster wearing its guts like Christmas decorations! YOU BET YOUR ASS I’M CRAZY!”</p><p>I stooped down and lifted a second barrel onto my shoulder.</p><p>“And you know what? That’s okay! We’re gonna have some fun! BARRELS O’ FUN!</p><p>Come on, Colonel! Let’s blow this thing SKY HIGH, BABY! WOO!”</p><p>“<em>John, you can’t be serious! You don’t even know if this’ll kill it!”</em></p><p>“If it bleeds…I can kill it.”</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The Slayer braced himself against the fury of the Blood Storm, straining to keep his footing under the raging tempest and the sky-splitting flashes of crimson lightning.</p><p>He had yet to reach the Black Pyramid and was focused on lessening his exposure to the thundering Storm, his HEALTH already reduced from 107 to 62 even with the Basilisk scale shield.</p><p>Though the Storm seemed to be passing over. The heavy rains on the Slayer’s shield waned as the thundering rains slowly ceased. He’d entered a low-density pocket in the Blood Storm, and he lowered his shield to survey the situation.</p><p>The sky was changing from midnight black to a deep bloodshot color, with the wall of pure darkness that was the Storm receding behind him. The ground was marked with ember scars from the rain, and even the once-smooth Basilisk scale he held was likewise cracked and heavily eroded. It might not last all the way to the Pyramid.</p><p>The Slayer raised his gaze to the dark stone structures on the distance, a landmark he’d noticed on his route to the Pyramid. They were stout rectangular temples and angular towers, their surfaces inscribed with ancient runes and crackling with crimson energy. Clearly long desolated and heavily weathered by the Sanctum’s instability, no doubt one of the many victims of the hellish Sacrifice to imprison the Slayer. He headed in that direction.</p><p>
  
</p><p>“<em>Ooooooohhh!”</em></p><p>A low and almost imperceptible roaring echoed from the distance. A Parasite Moon loomed in the sky above him, and he took a few moments to regard it.</p><p>It was a colossal entity measuring well into the hundreds of kilometers in diameter, its segmented rocky shell open to reveal the soft flesh interior. Massive tentacles, eye stalks, and other organs extended for many kilometers as it reached for nearby landmasses from countless shattered planets, which it would drag and feed on with the many teeth and mouths that adorned its grotesque red body.</p><p>As he was, the Slayer had nowhere near the adequate equipment or strength to take on a Parasite Moon, but he knew they’d rather feast on the remains from other demonic powers than confront him as well, and he had recovered enough power to resist its remote effects. The Parasite Moon continued to passively feed on the continent-sized world shards, and the Slayer lowered his gaze as he entered the threshold of the abandoned temple.</p><p>He brought up his automap to search for any viable resources within the towers, even though he knew they were probably barren. Anything of value would have been lost or stolen long ago. There were a few natural deposits of raw Argent energy, which the Slayer absorbed to raise his HEALTH to 82.</p><p>There was something though, a curious signal originating from the exterior of a nearby edifice.</p><p>The Slayer arrived at the signal location to find the corpse of an ancient human warrior, dressed in an enchanted set of wicked black armor, lying dead against the wall of the Hellish temple. There was a sword of similar make still clenched within the warrior’s hands, and a single pale arrow lodged in the warrior’s knee. A Dragonbone arrow and a complete set of Daedric armor.</p><p>The sword was completely useless to the Slayer, but Daedric armor was tough enough to reinforce the worn Basilisk scale with for the remaining trip to the Black Pyramid. He bent down and got to work.</p><p>“So, the rumors were true. The Doom Slayer has indeed returned.”</p><p>That voice. The Slayer lifted his gaze from the Basilisk shield and turned to the figure behind him.</p><p>On the short exterior wall circling the temple sat a person, a young Caucasian man with sharp angled features, short black hair, and strange tattoos covering his body from the neck down. He wore dress clothes with a black tie and an unbuttoned black jacket, and in his hand he carried a half-smoked cigarette.</p><p>The Exorcist.</p><p>The Slayer turned away and resumed reinforcing his Basilisk shield. He had his differences with the man but he was little more than a nuisance. He separated a piece of Daedric plating from the deceased warrior and, with some basic spell-weaving, forged it onto the shield.</p><p>“Those in my profession hear a great many things, from a great many voices, but when I heard the news, I just had to come and see for myself.</p><p>The great Doom Slayer himself. In the flesh.</p><p>The Bane of the Fallen Hosts.</p><p>Vanquisher of the Heresiarchs, Deposer of the Nameless One.”</p><p>The Slayer ignored the Exorcist’s hollow praise. Despite the man’s somewhat youthful appearance, his face betrayed a great weariness, and his hushed voice had the rough edge of a heavy smoker.</p><p>The man took a long draw from his cigarette, held it for a moment, and blew it out.</p><p>“Then again, you never were one for subtlety. You arrive here and the first thing you do is demolish a scavenger fortress? Let all of Hell know precisely where you are. Heh. What were you thinking?”</p><p>The Exorcist quietly laughed, and the Slayer stopped his work to give the man a reproachful glare. Just because the Slayer wouldn’t kill him didn’t mean he wouldn’t break both his legs.</p><p>The man’s laughter quickly turned to sharp gasping coughing, and he brought his hand up to cover his mouth. It came away covered in blood. The Slayer briefly stared at it before turning to break another piece off the Daedric armor.</p><p>“Don’t mind me, I’m hardly one to talk. People like us, we’re addicted to our self-destruction.” The Exorcist pulled out a white handkerchief to clean himself. “I suppose that’s the one thing you and I have in common. We stand on the ashes we make and throw more fuel for the fires. Like moths to a flame, headed to our own annihilation.</p><p>Indifferent. Oblivious. Passive. A perfect circle.”</p><p>The Exorcist said nothing for a moment. He slowly brought the cigarette up to his mouth and drew from it before blowing the smoke out, his face full of disgust. The Slayer continued reinforcing his shield.</p><p>“Why do you think so many hunters that come here end up turning? You can kill every demon that crosses your path, tell the Elder Gods to piss off, outrun the devil himself, but the only demons you can’t…<em>rip and tear, </em>are your own.”</p><p>The Basilisk shield was halfway finished. On top of the corroded brown scale sat sharp black plates of Daedric plating. Shoddy work but it’d be enough to get the Slayer to the Black Pyramid.</p><p>A new sound of low rumbling suddenly echoed from the sky. The Slayer turned to the source of the noise to find a black ship arriving through a Hell-rift above the towers. Almost a kilometer in length, with a spearblade shape and a featureless rocky hull.</p><p>A Drow ship. What were these boot-licking butchers doing in the Blood Keep?</p><p>“Relax,” said the Exorcist as he noticed the Slayer’s tense posture while lowering himself beside the low perimeter wall. “They’re not here for you. They’ve been running a number of search expeditions throughout the Shores some time before you showed up. I think they’re looking for a missing shipment. Maybe one of their specimens that got away.”</p><p>Hmm.</p><p>The ship hovered near the mountainside, projecting a translucent cyan search-beam through the towers.</p><p>A single scout vessel, with limited battle capacity, deep in an abandoned region of Hell. The Exorcist was right, it was likely just a search mission, mandated by whatever masters the Drow served now. Besides, the low-density pocket on his position wouldn’t last forever. He had to finish the shield before the Blood Storm returned.</p><p>The ship held its position but moved its search-beam through the towers. The Exorcist remained silent while cupping a hand over his cigarette, no doubt concealing his presence to keep out of the vessel’s sights. The Slayer separated another piece of Daedric plating and forged it onto the shield.</p><p>“<em>EEEOOOHHH?”</em></p><p>The search-beam landed and froze on the Slayer, instantly changing from cyan to red. He stopped his work and keenly looked over his shoulder at the vessel.</p><p>“<em>EEE EEE EEE EEE!!”</em></p><p>The ship turned off its search-beam and immediately began rising into the Hellish sky, emanating a shrill alarm as its dimensional engines prepared to open another rift.</p><p>Just as he thought.</p><p>Something fell from the bottom of the vessel, a strobing point of golden light that slowly floated down to the ground beside the temple. Curious, the Slayer put the Basilisk shield down and walked over to where the object landed.</p><p>It was a cube, roughly a meter in length, made of a brass-like metal and with the relief of a human skull on each of its sides. Peering over the cube’s unfolding top, he reached in and pulled out the largest of the three objects inside.</p><p>In his hand, the Slayer held a large golden revolver, stranger than any other he’d ever seen. It seemed made from solid gold, with smooth edges, purple hieroglyphs along the grip, and six glowing green chambers circling the cylinder. He turned to the rising Drow ship, almost entirely obscured in a rippling Hell-rift. He stared at it a while longer before it disappeared with a sharp clap of thunder, and ingressed the strange revolver into his weapon matrix.</p><p>BLAZING SPIRIT ACQUIRED</p><p>MUNITION TYPE – SOULS</p><p>PRIMARY FIRE – SHOOTS HITSCAN CONCUSSIVE BLAST</p><p>SECONDARY FIRE – SHOOTS REMAINING ROUNDS IN CYLINDER FOR LARGER BLAST</p><p>NOTE: BLASTS ARE SOUL-BASED; PASS THROUGH ARMOR BUT POSE RISK OF SELF-DAMAGE AT CLOSE RANGE</p><p>A soul weapon. Powerful, though it operated solely with mortal souls, which tended to be capricious. That and such weapons were largely useless against anything other than true demons, but that was hardly a concern.</p><p>Lowering the revolver and moving it into the Praetor Suit’s storage, the Slayer turned to the next of the two objects in the cube, a runestone made from black gnarled claws.</p><p>RUNE ACQUIRED – DARK CLAW</p><p>BERSERK CURSES BLOOD, CASTING TORTURED ESSENCE FROM DEMONIC FLESH</p><p>Dark Claw. A deplorable spell that did horrible things to the bodies of demons. Speaking of which, if he fought mindfully he could go Berserk for the inevitable confrontation at the Black Pyramid. Focusing on his applied runes, the Slayer disengaged Lethal Force and equipped Dark Claw, feeling their respective symbols fade and flash in his mind.</p><p>There was one more object inside the Drow cube. The Slayer reached in and pulled out a dull metallic sphere the size of his hand. It was forged from fellsteel in the shape of an eye, and behind the razorlike iris shone a malicious red glare.</p><p>NEW BOOST SYNTHESIZED – IRON SIGHT</p><p>VASTLY AMPLIFIES TACTICAL ACUMEN</p><p>ALL SHOTS AND PROJECTILES WILL FIND THEIR MARK</p><p>FABRICATION COST – 6 CALIBRATION CYCLES</p><p>The Slayer moved the final offering into the Suit’s storage and made his way back to the abandoned tower. He knelt down beside the Basilisk shield and continued reinforcing it.</p><p>“You’ve been gone a long time, Slayer. Too long. Much has changed in your absence.</p><p>Gods are born and die, races created and sacrificed. Entire planes of existence and laws of reality, rewritten like…words on paper.</p><p>The Fallen Hosts now venture beyond the edge of the Abyss. The Heresiarchs direct their servants across the Mortal and Immortal Realms, waging war against Creation and among themselves. The Prime Barrier holds but it won’t last forever.</p><p>And of course, our old friend.</p><p>No rest for the wicked, I suppose.”</p><p>
  <em>No rest for the wicked.</em>
</p><p>The Slayer thought back to the mysterious Cyber Paladin he’d encountered at the top of the Argent Tower. There was no chance that demon was from the UAC, something from this side had sent it to make sure Olivia Pierce breached the Martian Fracture. But who? What god or demon lord commanded the invasion of a worthless dustball in some remote region of the Mortal Realm?</p><p>It didn’t matter. There was nothing the Slayer could do at the moment about the powers that swayed the course of reality, or sought to prey on minuscule planets as inconsequential as specks of dust on the winds of the Aether. All he could do now was finish his shield, get to the Black Pyramid, and get the hell back to Mars.</p><p>Thunder echoed across the horizon. The Blood Storm was coming back.</p><p>No, it was too soon. He wasn’t done yet!</p><p>The Slayer sped up his forging as the Exorcist slyly grinned.</p><p>“I suppose this is where you and I part ways.</p><p>This is the part where I’d usually give you a profound piece of advice, a line or two to make you reflect on this…twisted game we call life, make you look both ways before you cross the road, or who knows. Maybe just to make myself sound wiser.</p><p>Although there’s probably not much I could tell you that you didn’t already know. Not that you would listen.”</p><p>The Slayer hurriedly broke off a final piece of Daedric armor and applied it onto the last exposed part of the Basilisk shield. The Exorcist stood up while pulling his sleeves back.</p><p>“So when you get back to Mars or wherever you’re going, don’t forget to write a postcard, you hear?</p><p>And if you’re ever by LA, do stop by. It’s always beautiful down in the City of Angels.</p><p>Hell, I’ll even buy you a drink.”</p><p>Crimson lightning flashed out of the corner of the Slayer’s eyes as the world was again enveloped in shadow. He had moments before the Storm hit.</p><p>“Hey buddy…”</p><p>What now?</p><p>The Slayer turned to face the Exorcist, his tie and jacket billowing against the backdrop of the looming Storm.</p><p>“…Got a light?” The man held out his cigarette, whole and unburned, and flicked it at the Slayer.</p><p>An indignant Slayer completed his shield and raised his combat shotgun square at the Exorcist’s face, but the man had already produced from his empty hand a glass ampoule filled with water, which he smashed on the ground at his feet before vanishing in a burst of light. The Slayer had just enough time to watch the buckshot pass through empty space, and he raised his shield as the raging might of the Blood Storm descended upon him.</p><p>He hated that prick.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>A thick and tense silence fell over the shuttle cabin as Ruby’s revelation came to light. Reeves raised her hand to her mouth in horror, Romero heavily backed down, but Rogers stood frozen in perplexed fury.</p><p>“…You knew.” He finally growled through gritted teeth.</p><p>Ruby sighed. She was hoping she wouldn’t have had to tell them, even though the need would probably arise.</p><p>
  <em>But not like this.</em>
</p><p>“You knew.” A vein in Rogers’ temple began to throb as his face turned red.</p><p>
  <em>Ah crap.</em>
</p><p>“YOU KNEW!” He yelled as he lunged at Ruby, throwing her back onto the dashboard and punching at her helmet, prompting Romero to attempt to pull him off. Ruby’s guard suit and helmet absorbed the bulk of the soldier’s blows, although she was momentarily stunned by the sudden attack.</p><p>“YOU TOLD US THAT OUR FORCES WERE COMPROMISED! THAT COMMAND HAD ORGANIZED EVAC AT THE SPACEPORT! BUT YOU LIED! YOU KNEW ALL ALONG! YOU LIED TO ALL OF US JUST TO SAVE YOUR OWN SKIN!”</p><p>“CALM DOWN, ROGERS!” Romero roared at the raging lieutenant.</p><p>“AND YOU! YOU’VE TAKEN TAYLOR’S SIDE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING! DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS TOO? WERE THE TWO OF YOU CONSPIRING TO GET THE REST OF US KILLED?”</p><p>Rogers turned away from Ruby to punch at the gunslinger’s exposed face, knocking him back. Something finally clicked within Ruby and she sprung into action. Taking advantage of her combat training and her Elite suit’s enhanced servos, she pushed the lieutenant off and lifted herself from the dashboard. Rogers threw another blow but she quickly blocked it, kicked the back of his knee to bring him down, and struck his cheek with a single right hook, forceful enough to stop him but not so much to cause damage. Rogers immediately seized his aggression and blinked in disorientation.</p><p>“Stand down, soldier,” she hissed with deadly intent as her hand began to throb.</p><p>Rogers turned to face her with murder in his eyes while panting heavily. He brought his gloved hand up to his struck cheek, glancing at the faint bloodstain on the white plating.</p><p>Grinning, he nodded in defeat and started to laugh.</p><p>“We’re all going to die…we’re all going to die. We followed you because you’re an Elite Guard! Because we thought you had a plan! That you knew what you were doing and were going to get us out! But you never were! You never did!”</p><p>Ruby took her foot off the lieutenant’s knee, but he remained snickering on the ground.</p><p>“Why don’t you just pull your gun out and shoot me right here? Hell, shoot all of us right now, get it over with! I’m sure it’s a far better end than whatever’s out there waiting for us.”</p><p>Ruby turned away in disgust and reached her hand out for Romero, still on the floor with a bleeding nose. The gunslinger took it and she helped him to his feet.</p><p>“You okay?” She asked him.</p><p>The gunslinger did not reply as he wiped his nose. He only pursed his lips and nodded, the disappointment all too clear in his eyes. His look injured Ruby far more than any of Rogers’ blows.</p><p>“Agent, there’s something out there.”</p><p>Reeves pointed towards the shuttle’s windshield, at the sinister red glow visible in the hangar floor. Something was casting a gleam from above the clear ceiling. Ruby rushed over to the dashboard and look up through the wide pilot viewglass, immediately wishing she hadn’t.</p><p>There were deep crimson stormclouds spreading across the Martian night sky, crackling with arcane energy and turmoiling with hellish ferocity. Ruby could spot dark figures and demonic sigils flashing through the gloom.</p><p>
  <em>What the hell, what the hell is that?</em>
</p><p>Reeves and Romero followed her into the cabin and likewise bore witness to the infernal horror spreading across the planet’s atmosphere. A sudden burst of static brought her attention down to the dashboard.</p><p>The shuttle’s screens were flashing with strange symbols and imagery, causing the other two to uncertainly back away. There were pentagrams, runes, feeds from throughout the Mars Base, all glitching with static as an unknown force hacked the system. Ruby tapped the screens, the buttons, anything to prompt some sort of response. Nothing.</p><p>A face suddenly appeared on the main panel, the heinous horned face of a Summoner-class demon lord. Ruby’s eyes widened. The demon stood perfectly still within the glitching scarlet image, seemingly staring through the screen directly at Ruby.</p><p>
  <em>No, not seemingly. It IS looking right at me. The damned thing can see me.</em>
</p><p>A chill ran down Ruby’s spine as she felt the cold merciless gaze of the demon lord on her, feeling its evil presence as real and close as if it were right in front of her.</p><p>The other two primary screens on either side of the dashboard settled on two similar images. The second screen, colored a dull grey, revealed a different demon lord whose head unnaturally jerked around as a low growling voice emanated from the speakers, and the third purple-tinged screen depicted an empty room, no doubt containing a third hidden demon lord.</p><p>Ruby stared petrified at the dreadful scene before the images of all three Summoners suddenly leapt at the screens with a harsh roar, causing her to leap and shield her face in terror, and the shuttle went dark. Ruby slowly brought her arms down to look at the dashboard.</p><p>The middle screen which had held the image of the red demon lord was cracked, as if something had attempted to break through it.</p><p>Ruby resolutely grabbed her pulse rifle and headed out the shuttle.</p><p>“We have to keep moving. We’re sitting ducks out here in the open. Our only chance of survival now is to head to the labs’ lower decks-”</p><p>Ruby stopped when she realized Reeves and Romero weren’t following her. She spun to look back at the shuttle, from where the two were watching her leave.</p><p> “Are you two staying here?”</p><p>Neither one of them replied, and Ruby didn’t have the time or willpower to argue. If the others wanted to stay and die, she wasn’t going to try to convince them otherwise. She’d just as well continue on her own.</p><p>“Have it your way,” she finished indifferently before turning to leave.</p><p>“Taylor! Wait!” Romero called out to her.</p><p>Ruby stopped as the gunslinger walked up to her, bearing a stern expression.</p><p>“I’m coming with.”</p><p>“As am I!” Reeves called out as she ran up to them. “You’re not leaving me here, damn it. You promised you’d get me home.”</p><p>Ruby sighed in relief. “I did. And I will.”</p><p>“What’s the plan? Without our helmets, we sure as hell can’t go back outside.”</p><p>“As a Level 3 installation, Helix has a restricted array of teleporters in the lower decks that high-priority individuals, such as Elite Guards, can use for quick and covert transportation to secured facilities across the Mars Base. We get to them, configure them to beam us to Lazarus, and take out the foreign signal that’s interfering with the flight network. Once that’s done we come back here, fly the shuttle to the Spaceport, and hopefully find a ship that can get us the hell off this planet.”</p><p>“Can’t we teleport directly to the Spaceport?”</p><p>“Negative. The teleporter arrays that link these key facilities are a closed network, which does not include the Spaceport. Resists interference but makes them incompatible with common teleporters that link the rest of the Base, which we’ve seen are already compromised.”</p><p>“Is this our only option?” Romero gravely inquired.</p><p>Ruby hesitated before answering.</p><p>
  <em>Our only other hope would be that the Doom Marine returned, wiped out all the demons on the planet including the three Summoners, and carried us off into the sunset atop a white unicorn. But he’s gone now, and even if he magically came back, I don’t think even he could take down all three.</em>
</p><p>But the team didn’t need to know about him, at least not anymore.</p><p>“Truthfully, yes. It’s the only chance we have.”</p><p>The gunslinger held his hand toward the exit.</p><p>“After you, Agent.”</p><p>Ruby prepared to leave but remembered Rogers was still in the shuttle.</p><p>“Wait, hold on a moment.”</p><p>Climbing into the shuttle, Ruby walked over to Rogers, who was hunching over in the pilot’s seat.</p><p>“Lieutena…Rogers, listen to me. There’s a chance we can make it out of here. We’re heading down to the lower decks, take a teleporter to the Lazarus Labs so we can shut down the foreign signal and fly this shuttle.</p><p>I shouldn’t have lied to you, and if you want my blood after this is over, you can have it. But we need you if we’re going to make it, and you’re not gonna last long on your own either.”</p><p>Rogers remained silent a moment before responding.</p><p>“‘No one gets left behind.’ Heh. Spoken like a true soldier.”</p><p>Ruby thought back to Colonel Johnson and that night on Europa, how he chose to come back and save his platoon.</p><p>
  <em>No, Johnson was a true soldier. I’m just doing what he would have done.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Johnson would never have led civilians to their deaths.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What the-! No! No! Where did that come from? Crap, they’ve really gotten to me. Come on, Taylor! Get a hold of yourself!</em>
</p><p>Forcing herself to clear her mind, she thought Rogers would choose to stay and die before he dejectedly got to his feet.</p><p>“I’m coming, but I’m not doing it for you or for that mercenary. I’m doing it for Reeves. I’m doing it for that girl who died back at the hospital. And I’m doing it for the doc.”</p><p>Ruby’s heart panged as she remembered the young technician, mauled to death by imps. She’d completely forgotten about her.</p><p>“That poor woman. I never even learned her name.”</p><p>“Neither did we. She didn’t talk much.”</p><p>“Then live. Make it back to Earth and let her be remembered. Let Christopher be remembered.”</p><p>“Then we settle this. Between you and me.”</p><p>“Fair enough.”</p><p>“One more thing.”</p><p>The lieutenant’s expression turned troubled, and Ruby leaned in with concern.</p><p>“…We’ve been lucky so far, but if I start to turn…promise you’ll shoot. I don’t want to become one of those fucking things.”</p><p>Ruby nodded in understanding.</p><p>“I promise.”</p><p>Rogers stood at attention and held his HAR at the ready.</p><p>“First Lieutenant Mark Rogers, reporting for duty.”</p><p>Ruby returned the salute.</p><p>“On the double, soldier.”</p><p>The lieutenant hurried out the shuttle to rejoin the team, and Ruby was about to follow when a sudden ache flared up in her hand.</p><p>“Ahh, what the f…”</p><p>She pulled her suit’s glove off and felt her stomach drop.</p><p>A grisly corruption had manifested in the last two fingers of her right hand. Her ring finger was a mottled purple color, but her pinkie was completely black with dry cracked skin. She tried moving them. The ring finger felt tender but the other was cold and numb, and its fingernail was bleeding. She softly touched it.</p><p>The fingernail came dislodged from its bed and hung lopsided on the bleeding skin before falling to the shuttle floor with a soft clatter. Ruby gagged as her heartbeat raced.</p><p>“Taylor, what’s the holdup?” Rogers called from outside. “We’re all waiting for you!”</p><p>“C-coming!”</p><p>Ruby desperately put her glove back on as she hastened out the shuttle.</p><p>
  <em>It’s just an infection, don’t worry. There’s medicine, there’s medicine for this. And I can always get a new hand printed.</em>
</p><p>But deep down she knew that Hell had already snared its long malignant claws around her.</p><p>
  <em>If I turn before you, Rogers, promise me you’ll shoot.</em>
</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>“Whew! Okay, that’s the last one!”</p><p>I dropped the last pair of barrels onto the stack I’d made in one of the maze’s rooms. The entrance was wide enough to grant the monster access, and the chamber was large enough to let me run past the stack towards the thin wall on the other side.</p><p>“<em>This is a crazy plan, John. Only a madman would seriously consider this.”</em></p><p>“Good. Because only a madman could make it work.”</p><p>“<em>John, listen to yourself! You’re going to use yourself as bait to lure the beast into this room, shoot the barrels and blow it up as you phase through the wall? This is some Wile E Coyote bullshit!</em></p><p>
  <em>You’re a soldier, for crying out loud! Act like a soldier! Think this through carefully and tactically!”</em>
</p><p>“If things made sense here, Colonel, it wouldn’t be called Hell. Gotta fight hellfire with hellfire. Ha! That’s a Catch-22, isn’t it?”</p><p>Something blipped on my radar. There were two faint dots at the edge of the display. The first moved down the maze towards me, but the second wobbled back and forth.</p><p>
  <em>That’s my cue.</em>
</p><p>Guns loaded, mana charged, spear ready, full health and shields.</p><p>
  <em>“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”</em>
</p><p>“I don’t. I think this is gonna be fun.”</p><p>“<em>Wait, the second bogey’s gone.”</em></p><p>The Colonel was right. The second dot which had moved in my direction stopped and disappeared, but the first kept swaying in place.</p><p>“Probably one of those smaller critters spooked by the big thing, fled to its nest or whatever.</p><p>Come on. Let’s catch ourselves a big one.”</p><p>I set off in the direction of the monster, occasionally glancing at my radar to check for other movement. So far so good.</p><p>Thanks to my previous memorization of the labyrinth’s layout, I had deduced a route that would lead the monster to the booby-trapped room while giving me enough time to get to safety.</p><p>Hopefully.</p><p>I stopped at an intersection about halfway to the monster, as far as I was willing to go.</p><p>“<em>Now what?”</em></p><p>“We make some noise,” I replied before loudly shooting a barrage of missiles at the rocky walls, hearing the blasts echo through the halls.</p><p>“YOU HEAR THAT, YOU BIG BASTARD? THAT’S THE DINNER BELL! DINNER IS SERVED! COME AND GET IT!”</p><p>I switched to machine guns and let loose a storm of explosive rounds, wildly spinning in all directions.</p><p>“WHAT’S THE MATTER, DID I HURT YOU? DO MY GUNS SCARE YOU? DON’T BE AFRAID! COME HERE! HAVE ANOTHER SERVING OF STEAMING HOT LEAD! THERE’S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM!”</p><p>“<em>Stop. Please just, stop.”</em></p><p>The white dot kept wobbling in place. I equipped my flak cannons and unloaded buckshot on the scarred walls.</p><p>“Come on. Come on! Do it! Do it! COME ON! KILL ME! I’M HERE! COME ON! DO IT NOW!”</p><p>Nothing. The dot paced in its spot but otherwise did not move. I stopped shooting.</p><p>“Something’s wrong. It’s not moving.”</p><p>“<em>Will you listen to me now? In this situation a self-respecting soldier would-”</em></p><p>“No, something’s not right. It’s been stalking me this whole time, following just out of my sight to get an idea of how strong I am, and attacking me that one time I gave away my position. But it’s never done this.”</p><p>“<em>You think it actually is hurt?”</em></p><p>“…Maybe.”</p><p>If it actually was inside-out, then it stood to reason that its exposed innards would make it more vulnerable. It didn’t seem I’d done that much damage for something its size, but there had been blood. Perhaps it wasn’t as tough as it looked.</p><p>“Let’s find out.”</p><p>I headed in the direction of the white dot, putting away my spear and priming my Flame Wave spell in preparation to deal maximum damage. I walked down the identical corridors and hallways before arriving at the corner behind which lay the pacing dot. I could hear a faint squelching noise around the bend.</p><p>I deeply breathed in.</p><p>“Okay. Okay. This is it.”</p><p>Three, two, one…action.</p><p>I leapt around the corner ready to raise hell but froze when I saw the source of the signal.</p><p>A mass of corpses from the other creatures that haunted the maze hung from the ceiling by a bright red entrail, held together with thick mucus and swaying to produce the movement my device tracked.</p><p>
  <em>Oh, crap.</em>
</p><p>“<em>You need to leave…NOW.”</em></p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!!”</em></p><p>A new brighter dot appeared from the direction I had just come from, blocking off the escape route I had so carefully prepared. The second bogey.</p><p>“SHIT!”</p><p>I bolted past the decoy as fast as I possibly could, hearing the distant splashing draw closer and closer.</p><p>“Colonel! Find me another route back to the trap!”</p><p>“<em>Turn left! Turn left here!”</em></p><p>I did as the Colonel ordered and heard the sound of something big smashing through the macabre decoy and all the bodies splashing on the puddles.</p><p>“<em>You don’t have enough Argent energy to phase through all the shortcuts in your path!”</em></p><p>“Then I might as well buy some time!”</p><p>I turned around and let loose a flame wave behind me, which spread throughout the hall and set even the moist ground on fire.</p><p>“BURN, MOTHERFUCKER! BURN!”</p><p>A hulking shape turned the corner and roared as the hellish flames engulfed it. A single flame wave likely wouldn’t kill the beast but I wasn’t going to stay and find out.</p><p>“<em>There’s a thin wall at your one-o-clock! Go through it!”</em></p><p>I triggered my phase shift and passed through the wall into the adjacent corridor. I glanced at my motion tracker to find the monster running down a nearby hallway.</p><p>“<em>Soldier, what are you stopping?”</em></p><p>“That thing’s still running! Why is it running?!”</p><p>“<em>Doesn’t matter! You need to fall back! Phase through the next wall in front of you while your shift is still active!”</em></p><p>I raced down the corridor towards the clear wall in front of me. Leaping, I phased through it and landed right in the charging path of the creature.</p><p>“WHAT THE-”</p><p>The beast pounced and passed through me but I still winced in pain as its jaws clamped shut on the spot my disassociated body was. My overshield instantly broke as the blue bar in my display went dark.</p><p>My physical disassociation during shifting wasn’t absolute, and I realized I could still take harm from demonic attacks. The distorted shape of the monster doubled back around and I bolted away from it as my shift wore off.</p><p>“<em>You’re going the wrong way!”</em></p><p>“I’m going the right way: AWAY from that thing!”</p><p>I fled through the corridors and made a sharp turn to shake the monster off, only to find myself at a dead end.</p><p>“<em>The walls are too thick! You can’t phase through them here!”</em></p><p>Something huge and pale turned the corner.</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!!”</em></p><p>I triggered my phase shift once again and passed through the charging beast while firing incendiary blasts from my flak cannons, but the creature slashed at me as I approached with a long gangly arm. The limb passed through my ghostly form but I still recoiled as I felt my innards violently displaced by the attack. The red bar on my display went down by half.</p><p>“AAAHHH!”</p><p>“<em>John!”</em></p><p>“I’m alive! I’m still alive!” I yelled to assure myself as much as the Colonel, but I didn’t know for how much longer. One more of those blows and I was surely a goner, even if shifted. I fled away from the monster and phased through the clear wall directly in front of me.</p><p>“<em>Yes! Yes! Go that way! Phase through the wall here! You’re on the quickest route back to the trap!”</em></p><p>The beast ran through the halls adjacent to me as it no doubt predicted my movement.</p><p>
  <em>Fine. Let it follow me. I’ve got a dead end of my own waiting for it.</em>
</p><p>My overshield began to regenerate but I only had enough mana for one more phase shift, the one I would need to avoid getting killed by my own trap.</p><p>“<em>The wall on your ten! Phase through it!”</em></p><p>I passed through the wall and returned to the familiar corridor that led straight to the barrel room as my shift wore off. I checked my radar. The beast was close but if I hurried I could beat it to the trap.</p><p>“Come on, you piece of shit cyborg legs! Run faster!”</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!!”</em></p><p>The sound of not-so-distant splashing appeared behind me and I heard galloping footsteps grow louder and louder. I fired my jump pack, desperately dashing forward for every possible boost I could add to my speed.</p><p>“<em>ROOOOAAAAHHHH!!”</em></p><p>The roars were only a few meters back, right on my heels. It was going to be close.</p><p>I turned back towards the monster for the first time, only barely catching a glimpse of flailing limbs, slimy pale skin, and hanging crimson viscera.</p><p>“You’re stupid! And guess what! Now you’re gonna be stupid and dead!”</p><p>I passed through the entrance to the room, ran past the stack of explosive barrels, and with a running leap, triggered my last phase shift as I spun around and heard the creature pounce.</p><p>Even with the visual distortions it was horrendous to look at. The head was long and snake-like with a drooling toothless mouth, a series of small beady black eyes along the upper edge, and a long gelatinous brain exposed along the forehead. If the creature was in agony by living such an existence, then perhaps I was doing it a favor by putting it out of its misery.</p><p>I sincerely hoped not.</p><p>I raised both middle fingers at my foe as I launched a single missile at the stack of barrels and phased through the wall.</p><p>A deafening explosion ensued which shook the very ground I’d landed on, audible even with my hearing muffled by the phase shift.</p><p>“<em>Did we get it?” </em>Asked the Colonel after what seemed forever.</p><p>I checked my radar. No movement. Turning back to the booby-trapped room, I noticed that the barrels of shimmering fluid were gone and the room filled with faint smoke, but the ghostly shape of the creature was nowhere to be seen. After waiting a few moments I was certain that the monster was gone as well, and I phased through the wall right before the shift expired.</p><p>The walls and ceiling of the chamber were splattered with a dark steaming fluid that ran down in thick rivulets, occasionally pockmarked with small globs of tissue, and the whole floor was littered with large chunks of charred black flesh.</p><p>“Who’s the man? I’m the man.”</p><p>“<em>Guess that harebrained scheme of yours wasn’t so crazy after all.”</em></p><p>“Oh, it was crazy alright. It was fun, too. Loads of fun.”</p><p>I kicked a twisted piece of metal shell away.</p><p>“Barrels of it.”</p><p>
  <em>“You think that was enough fun for one day?”</em>
</p><p>I headed out the room and towards the center of the maze.</p><p>“Sure was. Let’s get the hell out of here.”</p><p>I strolled leisurely down the once-haunted halls of the labyrinth. The same gross masses continued falling through the walls and splashing on the floor, but I felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from that cursed place. And from myself as well.</p><p>
  <em>Maybe the poor souls of the original inhabitants can finally rest.</em>
</p><p>I arrived at a sealed gate with a round depression in the center, from which several dark channels spread out across the surface in straight patterns. I got the impression that the eyeball was the key. I held it up to the gate and the channels shone with red and blue energy, lighting up the surface as the door slid up with a heavy thud.</p><p>The door opened into a large chamber that was empty except for a strange apparatus operating in the very center, a tall gyroscopic construct consisting of three rings that spun independently around a shimmering fluid core. The rings had lights around the edges which reflected off the silvery liquid, casting an aquatic glow throughout the whole chamber.</p><p>
  <em>“The gateway. This was part of this place’s original architecture. The inhabitants must have created it as a method to achieve faster-than-light travel.”</em>
</p><p>“But what happened?”</p><p>“<em>It worked, only too well. The gateway tore a hole through our universe directly into Hell, causing the consumption of their entire world. Do you remember the Event Horizon?”</em></p><p>“…Yeah, that classified UAC project, way back before Phobos. The company wanted to build the first FTL-capable ship, engineered from those old Martian relics. Vanished from all scopes and q-coms on its maiden voyage, never to be seen again.”</p><p>
  <em>Wow, I remembered all that on my own? My memory must be getting better. I still feel strange; dazed and confused, as if something’s keeping parts of my brain switched off. But I’ll fight it. I’ll remember who I was.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Rumor has it the Event Horizon actually broke through to Hell. Some folks say that’s why the UAC doesn’t use FTL propulsion despite being the only company with the technology. Which they only use for short-range teleporters and the Martian Hellgates.”</em>
</p><p>“So every civilization that develops FTL travel, they’re doomed to be invaded by Hell?”</p><p>
  <em>“Hayden thinks so. Even claims that’s the reason behind the extinction of the ancient Martians.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Hayden Solution to the Fermi Paradox, the bastard calls it.”</em>
</p><p>“So why haven’t we been invaded ye…”</p><p>My voice trailed off as I realized the reason.</p><p>“They’ll start from Mars. The invasion will come from Mars. They’ll use it as a stepping-stone to get to Earth!”</p><p>“<em>John, what are you talking about? Demons can’t travel through outer space!”</em></p><p>“Our ships! They’ll hijack our docked ships and use them to invade Earth! You gotta warn them!”</p><p>“<em>John, relax! There’s countless layers of security in place to prevent or deal with a major demonic breach! One of the first protocols is to lock down the Spaceport and Starport! If bad comes to worse, Central Command can remotely evacuate or self-destruct all UAC vessels and even bring the ARES array online to quarantine the planet!”</em></p><p>I wasn’t having it.</p><p>“I gotta get back to Earth. I gotta find my family!</p><p>Colonel! Can this gateway get me back home?”</p><p>“<em>Uh, wait. Let me scan it.</em></p><p>
  <em>It’s taken a real beating, soldier. Doesn’t look strong enough to bring you back, but it should be able to transport you to a viable Hellgate. At least, if your new pal upholds their end of the deal.”</em>
</p><p>I brought the blur artifact up to my face.</p><p>“I need your help. My family, my world is in danger. I know I am very different from you, but you too had loved ones, and you know what it’s like to lose all you hold dear. I can’t let that happen. I’ve already lost myself. I can’t lose them too.</p><p>Please…Help me go home.”</p><p>The red-and-blue eyeball simply stared at me. I could feel no impressions coming from it, and if it had thoughts, I had no idea what they were.</p><p>It suddenly looked down, and a sleek terminal emerged from the floor, its surface etched with thin mobile pieces like those over the door to the artifact chamber. I held the eyeball close to the terminal, the pieces lighting up and moving as the artifact manipulated them. The fluid core inside the spinning apparatus suddenly started to whirr, its surface crackling with electricity as the rings spun faster and brighter. I shielded my eyes as the gateway released a thundering blast of energy, then silence. I brought my hands down.</p><p>The rings had stopped spinning, floating still within each other in a single luminous circle. The shimmering fluid had become a perfectly still and softly buzzing transparent sphere, through which I could see some strange shadowed Hellscape.</p><p>“Will this get me closer to home?”</p><p>The eyeball nodded but then relayed a series of impressions that sank my mood.</p><p>“<em>John, what’s the matter?”</em></p><p>“They’re not coming. The alien spirits within the artifact, this is as far as they go.”</p><p>“<em>Well, why?”</em></p><p>“They only persisted out of hate. Towards Hell, towards themselves for the ambition that got their people killed, towards the monster that hunted them down. But they say that with that thing gone, they can finally have their release. They’ve been waiting too long, and they want their peace.</p><p>They thank me. They’ll transfer whatever strength they have left into the artifact, make it a usable relic so I can keep its powers, but from here on I’m on my own.</p><p>They wish me luck on my journey, and hope I find what I’m looking for.”</p><p>“…<em>Damn.”</em></p><p>I couldn’t think of anything to say. These beings had lent me their strength and all I could do was grant them death.</p><p>“If not for you, I never would have survived this place. I honestly don’t know if I’ll make it the rest of the way.”</p><p>
  <em>What do you say to someone about to die? To aliens about to die?</em>
</p><p>“You granted me this power, fixed me up, gave me a fighting chance. I thank you as well.”</p><p>
  <em>Where will they go? If this is Hell, and they already exist as spirits here, what happens to them? Do they go somewhere else? Reincarnate? Or just simply…vanish?</em>
</p><p>“Perhaps one day we’ll meet again.”</p><p>
  <em>Fear, sorrow, loneliness, anger, hope. Maybe we’re not so different after all.</em>
</p><p>“Goodbye.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Farewell, friend.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The glow emanating from the artifact faded away as the eyeball changed in structure. After a few seconds, it became an inert red-and-blue sphere that cast only the faintest of light, and the presence upon my mind disappeared.</p><p>They were gone.</p><p>“<em>John. That machine won’t stay stable for long. If you’re going to take the gateway, you better do it now.”</em></p><p>I stood in silence for a moment before responding.</p><p>“…Copy that.”</p><p>I walked up to the core and stopped just in front of it, raising my hand to touch the surface. My finger passed through with no resistance and was visible from the other side. I pulled my hand back.</p><p>
  <em>Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.</em>
</p><p>“No. No, I won’t.”</p><p>With a deep breath, I stepped forward and passed through the gateway.</p><p>*          *          *</p><p>The Slayer marched on through the Blood Storm. He was almost at the Pyramid and focused on minimizing his exposure to the Storm, his HEALTH already down to 54.</p><p>The rains waned as he entered another low-density pocket in the tempest, and raising his eyes over the edge of the shield, he could already spot the irregular monolithic pillars on the mountainous terrain, leading up to the Pyramid where it had shaped the very Hellscape with its dark presence. The pillars were made of the same stony glass as the Pyramid, though far clearer and less opaque; a deceptive medium that Maephisto commonly used for his constructs and which the Slayer fervently loathed. But it was the only way to the Pyramid, so he lowered his shield and pressed on.</p><p>He took care not to stare too long into the aggravating images reflected on the surfaces of the crystal pillars, which refracted and distorted all sorts of strange and erratic visions. The Slayer drenched in blood, sweat, and tears as he raced down the Phobos hangar searching for his squadmates. The Dreadnought Colossus looming over the city of Taras Nabad, tearing its way across the Dragontooth Mountains, laying waste to the Argenta planet through all sort of Hellish phenomena and striking down even the greatest of Atlans. The wreckage of a thousand allied starships smoldering amidst the wrecked cathedrals of Argent D’Nur. A young boy crying as his father took away the soldier toy in his hand, not understanding his father’s harsh words or anguished expressions as he explained why playing such games was wrong.</p><p>The Slayer paid these memories no mind. They were nothing but ceaseless processions of pain and anger, dulling the Slayer’s focus and bringing his attention away from the now.</p><p>Stepping into a clearing amid the crystal pillars, the Slayer stopped as his objective finally came into view.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The Slayer rampaged through the fractal crystal Hellscape of the Naraxian Plains, tearing down the great keystone obelisks and gateway towers as he massacred masses of fleeing demons with a Scalar Wave cannon.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He found his target, a metallic Fallen Host that served as general in Maephisto’s armies and towered above the retreating masses. The Slayer fired his weapon but the blast harmlessly passed through, the demon lord immune to the weapon’s soul disassociation properties, before it retaliated with an incantation that shattered the landscape and seared at his body, only serving to further infuriate him. Racing towards the demon lord, he released the useless weapon and switched to a different arm, a jet-black double-barreled shotgun with gold carvings that visibly radiated power. Recognizing the Retribution, that holiest and most feared of the Slayer’s weapons, the demon lord retreated from the battlefield and to the floating Black Pyramid, a living weaponized fortress that Maephisto had sent to protect the region. The Slayer gave chase and fired his weapon at the Pyramid.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A world-splitting blast of thunder roared across the Hellscape as the shot effectively shattered the construct, buckshot penetrating armor and body to devastate its exterior surface and breach a path towards the demon lord. Without a second thought, the Slayer charged through the debris field and rushed into the Black Pyramid through the crater in its side, blinded by sheer unrelenting rage towards the demons he hunted.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As soon as he stepped into the Pyramid’s threshold, countless unseen machinations sprung to life. The Pyramid manipulated the planes of Hell’s reality to restrain the Slayer inside an infinitely recursive series of miniature universes contained within itself. Grunting in frustration over the sudden trap, the Slayer manifested an arcane silver knife and pierced the elemental cage fallen over him with it, breaching the many universes faster than they could form. But as the Slayer surfaced back to the plane of the Black Pyramid, he bore witness to the true nature of this demonic trap.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Naraxian Plains and the surrounding regions were falling into a gargantuan vortex of unfathomable power. Citadels, kingdoms, worlds, universes, entire planes of Hell consumed by a growing maelstrom of raw infernal energy, with countless souls, legions, lords, and gods devoured by the tempest. What was happening?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>  </em>
</p><p><em>Then he saw them. The shadows of the five Heresiarchs, still imprisoned within Tartarus, manifested upon the Shores of Hell. For the f</em> <em>irst time since the First Battle, the Slayer witnessed the five Elder Gods of Hell united in effort against a common enemy: him. They were willingly sacrificing the armies and forces of Hell to fuel a spell unlike any other that had ever been seen in the history of Creation. The Slayer could see the brands of containment, corruption, confusion, degradation and torpor fusing into one paramount incantation, combined with a mystical seal that did not originate from Hell.</em></p><p>
  <em>The Seal of the Celestial Triumvirate.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Slayer’s fury turned to frenzy as he struggled to liberate himself before the spell fell upon him. He produced strange and powerful weapons from the Praetor Suit, dimensional resonators and god spears and astral voltrides, anything to escape the countless universes the Pyramid tried to keep him in. He fired the Retribution again and again, the shots blasting through numerous event horizons and crippling the Pyramid from within. The construct struggled to contain the destructive power inside as its very structure began to fracture. Desperate, the Slayer began to charge the Retribution’s secondary fire.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But it was too late. The ritual was complete and the Heresiarchs’ spell descended upon the Slayer with the might of a trillion sacrificed souls, forcing him into a collapsing singularity of pure infernal chaos. His visor cracked and the Praetor Suit flashed in malfunction as its systems were impaired by the cataclysmic spell. The link connecting the Retribution to the Praetor Suit’s weapon matrix failed, causing the shotgun to fall out of his hands and be lost to the maelstrom. The ground became the sky and the sky fell upon him. If he could have screamed, he would have.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then everything went black.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The Black Pyramid of the Kadingir Sanctum, the kilometer-tall prison fortress that had once entombed him for untold eons, with the colossal scars of the long-past battle still on its surface and the sixth UAC ship docked inside. Five sides, five Sigils from the five Elder Gods of Hell. The tomb that had drained his powers and crippled the Praetor Suit. The one sole artifice that ever came close to stopping the Slayer.</p><p>But it had not been enough. He had escaped once. And now he would escape again.</p><p>“<em>Slayerrr.”</em></p><p>He turned to face the source of the coarse resonant voice behind him and beheld a six meter roughly humanoid figure of dark twisted metal. The Slayer widened his eyes ever so slightly.</p><p>The figure took a step to the side and began to circle around him.</p><p>“<em>Serve the Authority. Serve the Corrax Alliance. Serve the Ascended Hosts.”</em></p><p>The Slayer dropped the Basilisk shield and circled around the being as well, keenly watching it with a gaze both intense and regretful.</p><p>“<em>My people served. We served our Administrators. Served mankind under Corrax. Served the gods that came down from above.”</em></p><p>The figure’s body of once-living metal now writhed in undead turmoil, the biometallic tissues that could shift to produce tools of discovery and creation now produced only weapons. Such a being would have once been magnificent to behold; now it only evoked horror. And in the Slayer’s case, pity.</p><p><em>“And we served you. We followed your command. Carried your banner across countless realms of darkness.</em> <em>Waged your Unholy Crusade.”</em></p><p>The figure’s eyes once would have gleamed with brilliant emotion. Curiosity, wonder, honor, and compassion for the fellow mortals it met across the cold vastness of the universe. Now, they only blazed with war, violence, and vengeance.</p><p>
  <em>“And you abandoned us.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My people put their trust in you, and for that, our worlds burned and the devils massacred us, hunding us down to the edge of the universe.”</em>
</p><p>The being was a Hellified citizen of the Verimor, a race of sentient cybernetic organisms that the Argenta once met in their voyages across the cosmos, and one of the founding races of Corrax. They were also one of the many victims from the night Argent D’Nur fell, and another sword of guilt piercing the Slayer’s heart.</p><p>“<em>You will not save your world. You will not save your people from the damnation that awaits them.”</em></p><p>The Slayer halted. The Verimor were a respected race of the Corrax Alliance and one of the few which the Slayer held in high regard, but this one had become demonic, and if it stood in his way, he would not hesitate to cut it down.</p><p>“<em>You cannot change their Fate, and you cannot change yours,” </em>the demon lowly growled before stopping too. From the shadows behind the surrounding pillars stepped forth another dozen demonic Verimor, forming a ring around him and the first. He cracked his knuckles and held his hands ready at his sides as his adversaries brandished weapons. Zero point disruptors, dark matter blasters, nuclear decoherers, even blades and maces. The first Verimor formed a flaming sword and an ion cannon.</p><p>
  <em>“When you arrive to Earth, it will be only to hold the corpse of humanity as it crumbles to dust on the scorched winds, and walk the ruins of your dead world until time itself dies.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Regretting what was. Regretting what could have been.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Forever.”</em>
</p><p>In the blink of an eye, the Slayer equipped the Blazing Spirit and raised it at the first Verimor. <em>RAAAH! </em>Immediately upon pulling the trigger an intense blast of tormented souls erupted against the demon, passing through its armored shell and directly damaging its interior systems. It faltered and was thrown back with the force of the blast, but the Slayer had already turned to his other opponents.</p><p><em>RAAAH! RAAAH! RAAAH! </em>He swerved and strafed around zero point beams and the disintegrating rays of nuclear force decay while firing explosive soul blasts at his opponents. The blasts weren’t as powerful those of the rocket launcher but they had a higher firing rate and no travel time. Several Verimor tried charging up close to quickly finish the Slayer’s reduced health, but he kicked them away and blocked their attacks with his Bracer. One of them swung a mace at him. Parrying the blow and staggering his foe with the reflected energy, the Slayer pulled its arm, broke it off at the shoulder, and smashed the demon’s head off with its own mace. 15 ARMOR, 74 HEALTH.</p><p>The Slayer couldn’t risk leading his foes to the UAC ship and portal device at the Pyramid, he needed to lead them away. He switched to the rocket launcher and leapt into the air while shooting straight down, catching most of the group in the blast and faltering them as he soared away from the Pyramid.</p><p>A series of metallic whirring sounds bought his attention back down. The Verimor had shifted their body structures into flying jet-like forms, closing fast on the Slayer while unleashing a storm of fiery projectiles. The Slayer switched to his chaingun and opened fire as he fell back to the Hellscape. <em>RATATATATATAT!! </em>The hail of bullets tore through the demons’ thick metal armor and utterly destroyed three of them, their bodies shattering into smoking metal debris that rained on the Blood Keep. The first Verimor shifted back to its humanoid form as it fell towards the Slayer and tackled him, catching him by surprise and crashing the two through the forest of dark crystal pillars. The Slayer quickly regained his bearing as his opponent swung around to slash at him with their sword, switching to his phase rifle as he dodged the sword swipes but took several ion blasts to the chest. <em>ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP! PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW! POWW! </em>62 HEALTH. He kicked at the Verimor to force it back and hit it with a heat blast before following up with a left hook. <em>PEW PEW PEW PEW! </em>The other demons landed behind him and pressured him with dark matter shots. He switched to the super shotgun and shot the first Verimor in the chest. <em>BOOM! </em>The demon dropped to its knees as luminous red fluid splattered from its devastated torso, but the Slayer strafed away to avoid a dangerously close ray of nuclear decohesion, preventing him from dealing the killing blow. Furious, he grabbed his plasma cutter, took careful aim and fired. <em>POW! </em>One of the Verimor winced in anticipation of the shot, which missed and strayed far behind them.</p><p>“<em>HARRGH!” </em>It roared in mockery, but the Slayer was already turning to another target.</p><p>Hearing a harrowing cracking behind it, the demon turned around just in time to see one of the inclined crystal pillars behind it had been sliced at the base with a plasma cutter shot, which fell onto the demon and immediately crushed it. <em>POW! POW! POW! </em>The Slayer launched a stun bomb and fired other cutter shots at nearby crystal pillars, crushing several Verimor beneath them or leading those who rolled out of the way into blast range of the rocket launcher. <em>BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! </em>Before long, all the demonic Verimor were reduced to scrap metal scattered across the cursed ground of the Kadingir Sanctum.</p><p><em>“RAAARRRGGGHHH!” </em>The Slayer rolled out of the way before the flaming sword fell on him; the first Verimor was still alive. It rushed at the Slayer with Hellfire in its eyes and a body that was falling apart with every attack. He dodged and rolled between the demon’s legs to avoid its slashes and escape its ion blasts.</p><p>“<em>YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT US! DELIVER US FROM EVERY EVIL THAT WOULD DO US HARM! YOU WERE THE ONLY THING THAT COULD STAND UP TO THE MIGHT OF THE DARK REALM, AND YOU LEFT US BEHIND!”</em></p><p>He did not! In his many travels, the Slayer once arrived to the Verimor ages before the founding of Argent D’Nur, warning them of the existence of Hell and teaching them how to fight demons, before instructing them to seek the others that would together form the Corrax Alliance.</p><p>He had fought with Orinox the Dauntless himself! Stood at his side as he fought to his inevitable death at the siege of Urk-Vitel!</p><p>
  <em>“YOU LEFT US TO DIE!”</em>
</p><p>The Slayer raised his Bracer before the demon’s unrelenting onslaught and finally staggered it with a parry, the sword shattering as it struck his armored forearm. Stepping up on his opponent’s knee, the Slayer grabbed the twirling blade out of the air and thrust it through the demon’s head. 86 HEALTH.</p><p>He respected Orinox! Always respected the Verimor! He taught them how to save themselves from Hell!</p><p>The demon’s eyes flickered and faded to black, coarsely groaning as it fell to its knees and powered down to silence on the wretched Hellscape.</p><p>They were better than this! All sentient races across the universe were! They had the freedom to forge their own Fates free from the influence of the divine!</p><p>But the being’s words had cut deeper than its blows, and laying it to rest even more so. Everyone lost when Argent D’Nur fell.</p><p>A sharp flash of hellish thunder brought the Slayer’s attention to the looming Blood Storm. The low-density pocket over the area was fading, he needed to get to the portal device fast.</p><p>The Slayer raced back to the Pyramid as the sky darkened once more and the waves of thunder rolled from beyond the mountains, the Suit’s Harmonic Resonators already thrumming with shrill warbling. He crashed and Rampaged through the forest of pillars, paying no mind to the jagged trail of destruction he left in his wake. Rivulets of corrosive blood rained on the Pyramid’s stones as lightning explosively struck the capstone.</p><p>Countless swells of scarlet flame manifested around the Pyramid with legions of imps, pinkies, cacodemons, and Blood Knights emerging from the rifts as the Blood Storm violently swerved over the Pyramid, even the faint lingering power of the malignant entity able to churn and disrupt the infernal calamity.</p><p>The Slayer did not halt or gape. He loosened his shoulders and raced even faster towards the Pyramid, the murky stone pillars crumbling to fine dust against the Praetor Suit as he ran at frightening speeds.</p><p>Zombies, Damned, and Apostates shambling from the UAC dropship docked within the Pyramid. Flying imps, dark imps and pyroimps throwing all sorts of fireballs at him. Cacodemons spitting lightning bolts and crackling orbs in his direction.</p><p>The Slayer drew the Blazing Spirit and spun the cylinder. HEALTH was good, ammo was full, Berserk almost ready to go. Deep breaths, stay focused, keep moving, and always mind his surroundings.</p><p>It was time to make the Blood Keep live up to its name.</p><p>He leapt into the air while charging a Blood Punch, his fist tracing a bright red path across the sky before landing onto the demonic horde. <em>POWW! RAHH! RAHH! RAHH! </em>Ghostly green light flashed across the Hellscape as the Blazing Spirit released powerful blasts of tormented souls unto the flailing masses, sending limbs and gore flying and releasing further souls to power the weapon. The Slayer Rampaged across the horde to stay on the move and avoid the roiling waves and shrieking lightning of the Blood Storm.</p><p>Pinkies also tore through the mob as they attempted to ram the Slayer, but a single soul blast from his spirit revolver bypassed their bone armor and reduced them to shredded giblets splattered on the cursed ground. As the horde thickened he switched to the chaingun and opened fire.</p><p>
  <em>RATATATATATAT!!</em>
</p><p>Pure unfettered devastation. The heavy tungsten rounds from the autocannon passed unhindered through the hides and bones of countless vile beasts, tearing bodies apart, vaporizing organs from the force of impact, and leaving smoldering entrails smeared on the terrain.</p><p>And eating through the Slayer’s bullet pool as well.</p><p>A pack of Blood Knights charged towards the Slayer and he turned the chaingun at them, felling one and another but his bullet count was already at half capacity and he only had two chainsaw batteries left. He switched from the chaingun to the combat shotgun while strafing away from the Blood Knights’ fireballs and the rest of the horde, charging and shooting several explosive shots at the monsters. The shots hit their mark and several imps around them were torn to shreds by the burning shrapnel, but the Blood Knights continued their attack and the Slayer fell back to keep his distance, the sudden shadow falling over him indicating he was headed straight for one of the Blood Storm’s currents.</p><p>They were trying to chase him into the Blood Storm, which they had the power to resist. He switched to the autoshotgun and unloaded buckshot on the Blood Knights, eviscerating two of them but the rest advanced and leapt in slamming attacks, one of which caught the Slayer in its range. 52 HEALTH. Cornered, the Slayer threw the Knight off with a quick punch and raced into the Storm.</p><p>50 HEALTH. 48. 46. He winced as the Blood Storm’s rains pierced through the Praetor Suit and ate away at his body, his HEALTH slowly and surely ticking down. The rest of the horde avoided the Storm or wasted away to its power, but the Blood Knights remained hot on his trail and the crimson lightning stabbing at his eyes made it difficult to see and aim. He turned to his Clearsight, the shadow and flashes instantly vanishing to make the demons clearly stand out. He switched to the rocket launcher. <em>BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! </em>The explosions caught most of the Knights in their blast range and faltered them, and the Slayer switched to the super shotgun to finish them off. <em>POWW! POWW! POWW!</em></p><p>One of the Blood Knights threw a fireball at the Slayer. He swerved around but it struck the terrain behind him and exploded in Hellfire, washing him in the scorching blaze. 18 HEALTH.</p><p>The Slayer was at critical health and the horde was nowhere near finished. If he died now, the Black Pyramid might be destroyed or swarmed with entire assault fortresses by the time he returned and the Blood Storm passed. He might not get the chance again to return to 2149 Mars.</p><p>He rushed out of the Blood Storm to conserve his remaining HEALTH and raced at a nearby zombie hoping for a quick fix, before a bright beam of hellish energy flashed from a distance and reduced the zombie to cinders. The Slayer stared but he did not stop, bringing his fist through the body of another nearby zombie and quickly recovering 10 HEALTH. It was not enough. There were no pinkies nearby, but if he could bait a dark imp into attacking him at close range, he could stagger it with a parry and then execute it for a decent amount of HEALTH. There was one nearby. He zigged and zagged through multiple speedy and homing fireballs before arriving at close proximity to the demon, watching it raise its claws to slash at him before reading his Bracer for the parry.</p><p>Right before the strike landed, a thin hook-tipped tail whipped out of nowhere and struck the imp in the chest, harpooning it away from the desperate Slayer. He turned to the culprit demon.</p><p>A low and stout figure with a barbed tail several times its body length. Four long clawed legs and two arms ending with wickedly sharp scythes. Two black jagged horns whose surfaces flashed with glowing symbols, and a single circular blazing rune instead of eyes above its bared mouth. A Velcore.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Strafing around the demon while switching to the HAR, the Slayer lined up a precision shot while avoiding the pulsed beams of hellish energy the Velcore shot from its ocular rune. Velcores were cunning and they frequently struck when the Slayer was at reduced health. He aligned the shot and fired, the bolt striking the demon in the head and breaking off one of its horns. Rushing in while the demon was faltered, the Slayer grabbed a hold of its body and threw it at a nearby caco who snapped at him, the smaller demon vanishing behind a mangled mess of gore and teeth.</p><p>The rest of the horde had not ceased its assault and several other Velcores attempted to snipe him from afar, just as the dozens of imps and cacodemons lobbed fireballs and lightning bolts at him. He needed to take out the Velcores first and stat.</p><p>He was almost ready to go Berserk. Just had to charge it a bit more.</p><p>The Slayer changed his trajectory to lead him straight into the heart of the horde, Rampaging through the demons directly in front of him as he noted the positions of all the Velcores. A wave of imps and zombies swarmed at him. He put the HAR away and raised his fists for melee combat. He kicked an imp away and brought his fist through its face and he rushed past it, raised a zombie over his head and broke its back like a twig, cracked a pinky’s face armor with his knee and pulled its horns to rip its head apart. As the horde crashed in over itself he clambered to the top while avoiding claws and teeth, straining free of the clutching arms while equipping the combat shotgun and reading himself for his next course of action.</p><p>He thrust off from the bodies beneath and activated his Iron Sight powerup. He pulled his arm free from the latches of a grasping imp, placed the barrel on its chest, and instantly blasted it apart.</p><p>
  
</p><p>The Slayer’s senses became as sharp and precise as a honed knife. He had complete situational awareness and felt the weapon he carried as natural a part of him as the hand that held it.</p><p>Slinging the shotgun around and pulling the trigger, he immediately knew the explosive shot killed the Velcore pouncing behind him. He brought it back around and sniped another velcore hundreds of meters away, switched to the HAR and instantly put a precision bolt through the ocular rune of another one behind a dozen other demons without even a moment to aim.</p><p>The Iron Sight powerup amplified the Slayer’s tactical capabilities and allowed him to land pinpoint shots without even the faintest of effort. His aim was true, his bullets found their mark.</p><p>Phase rifle. <em>ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP! </em>The plasmoids found their way to the targeted cacodemon and vaporized it in a burst of moist blue tissue.</p><p>Rocket launcher. <em>BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! </em>A Velcore slinked behind a pinky in the belief the armored demon would shield it from the explosion.</p><p>The rocket that curved around the pinky and killed them both proved it wrong.</p><p>The Slayer spun around.</p><p>
  <em>BOOM!</em>
</p><p>A foolish Blood Knight had attempted to charge at the Slayer behind his back, the rocket reducing it to a steaming red gibs that splashed onto the Praetor Suit.</p><p>He was doing surprisingly well. Ammo pools were good, the horde was almost gone, and his HEALTH was 74. All that was left to fight was-</p><p>“<em>RAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Two Barons of Hell.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>RAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>Ten meters of muscular crimson flesh, twisted ebony horns, wicked talons and jagged teeth roaring with infernal ferocity from the peak of the Black Pyramid as scarlet lightning flashed behind them. Arcane runes of power floating over their hands and chests while a bright hellish halo adorned their heads. The greater offspring of Abaddon and major demon lords of infernal battle-fortresses. Semi-wild beasts of the untamed Hellscapes, often serving as forward command and heavy attack units on infernal sieges or in invasions of mortal worlds.</p><p>The dull grey pillars surrounding the Pyramid immediately morphed into deadly sharp blood-red spikes, and the Blood Storm changed from an unguided tempest to a directed force of calamitous destruction, bending under the Barons’ powers and descending upon the Slayer.</p><p>The Slayer immediately raced away from the Pyramid as the Resonators’ steady tones crescendoed to a heavy thunderous cannonade, rushing away from the chasing Blood Storm and aiming the rocket launcher at the Barons, although he knew it wouldn’t do much good. It would take a dozen direct rockets to kill a single Baron, ammo which the Slayer no longer possessed, and the Tracker component on the upper right corner of his HUD indicated Iron Sight was almost depleted.</p><p>The two Barons began charging towards the Slayer, rushing down the sides of the Black Pyramid and crashing through countless demons in their path. The rockets the Slayer shot curved towards their targets and struck. One, two. The missiles exploded and blasted hide and flesh from the hulking demons, faltering them with their sheer force, but the Barons remained standing and turned to the Slayer with abominable fury.</p><p>“<em>RAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>The entire demonic horde around the Pyramid screeched and rushed at him with increased ferocity, the Barons’ violence and command manifesting in their lesser minds as blood-crazed frenzy.</p><p>The Slayer turned the rocket launcher away from the Barons and towards the mob falling upon him. <em>BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! </em>Limbs and gore flew everywhere but the demons grew too close to use the launcher safely. He punched away the foes that came too near, but their blows were fiercer. Harsher. 47 HEALTH.</p><p>He pressed the trigger on the rocket launcher once more, which clicked emptily.</p><p>ROCKETS – 0</p><p>The bar beneath the Iron Sight icon in his HUD went dark as the honing boost to his senses disappeared. The powerup was gone.</p><p>Chaingun!</p><p>
  <em>RATATATATATATAT!!</em>
</p><p>The barrage of piercing incendiary rounds decimated the masses around the Slayer and cleared the Hellscape in his vicinity, unobstructing his view of the colossal green fireball laying waste across the mountain range straight for him.</p><p>
  <em>BOOM!</em>
</p><p>Direct hit. 12 HEALTH.</p><p>The Slayer flew backwards as his Blood Rage flared and the smoldering Praetor Suit recovered from the massive hole blasted in its front side. He crashed across the Hellscape before gathering his bearings and recovering his balance, leaving a ravaged trail of devastation across the rocky terrain.</p><p>The Barons were still a distance away but Hellfire was already gathering in one’s fists. Widening his eyes, the Slayer rushed to avoid the incoming attack. The Baron leapt high into the air and slammed the ground.</p><p>A blazing wave of Hellfire erupted from the impact site with the force of a bomb, laying waste to the masses around the Pyramid, shattering the blood-red crystal fields, and rapidly approaching the Slayer.</p><p>Thinking quick, he manipulated the Hellscape to raise a stone barricade in front of him just as the scorching wave reached his position, passing over his cover and melting the edges of the infernal rock.</p><p>“<em>Eeeeee</em>…”</p><p>OH SHIT!</p><p>
  <em>“PEWW!!”</em>
</p><p>The Slayer rushed from behind the slab of rock and onto the charred terrain as a blinding beam of Hellish energy vaporized his meager cover, right in front of the other charging Baron and its massive claws falling upon him.</p><p>He reflexively raised his Bracer and parried the swipe. <em>POWW!</em></p><p>The Slayer was thrust back with the force of the blow, and even the Baron briefly faltered but remained alert. Acting quick before the demon attacked again, he leapt upward and quickly focused a Blood Punch, the heavy blow amplified further by Blood Rage from the Slayer’s reduced health. The punch landed squarely on the Baron’s groin.</p><p>“<em>RAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>He hurried away from the pained demon to quickly recover distance before it attacked again.</p><p>
  
</p><p>His Bracer could block a direct hit from a Baron of Hell in its entirety, but it’d still be unwise to engage a Baron at such close range, especially at 12 HEALTH.</p><p>Furious, the injured Baron gathered Hellfire within its hands and launched colossal waves of flame towards the Slayer. Rampaging at full speed, he swerved and strafed around these as they thunderously struck again the nearby mountains, reducing them to charred rubble and boiling lava.</p><p>Turning in the direction of the beam that had pulverized his cover, the Slayer spotted a horrific hyperdimensional construct of amalgamated crystal shards and demon gore, incensed with bright energy and forged by the Barons’ latent power, hovering and folding unto itself above the Hellscape. A Blood Prism.</p><p>Blood Prisms were slow and fairly easy to take down, but they’d take his attention away from the Barons and pressure him from a distance. And the longer the Barons were present, the more Prisms would appear.</p><p>“<em>RAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>The other Baron opened a dozen summoning circles and spawned a ring of Blood Knights that immediately chased after the Slayer. They’d try to chase him into the Blood Storm again but at such reduced health he’d never survive it, and he wouldn’t be able to dodge any more hits from the Prisms or Barons.</p><p>Sometimes though, the best defense…</p><p>The Slayer slung a grenade at the Baron behind him while launching a stun bomb at the other closest to the pack, before brandishing the chainsaw and charging a Blood Punch.</p><p>…WAS A GOOD OFFENSE!!</p><p>In a single twisting motion, the Slayer brought the chainsaw across the chest of the nearest Hell Knight before swinging his left hand and landing the Blood Punch on its shredded chest, the amplified blow releasing a crimson explosion that eviscerated half the pack.</p><p>Fresh ammo, 32 HEALTH. Better than nothing.</p><p>He strafed away from the remainder of the pack as the Baron in front broke out of the stun and threw a fireball directly at him. He swerved out of the way and the projectile exploded as it struck the Blood Knights, but these were unaffected. Hell Knights were completely subservient to the command of Barons and carried immunity to their attacks as kindred Hellspawn of Abaddon.</p><p>What to do now?</p><p>Another Blood Prism had formed from the shattered crystal fields and demonic cadavers, and he could spot a third in the process of coalescence. The first meanwhile was folding itself into a long, pronged sniping configuration and charged a beam in the Slayer’s direction.</p><p>“<em>Eeeeee…”</em></p><p>He maneuvered himself into position and raised his Bracer.</p><p>“<em>PEWW!!”</em></p><p>A brilliant beam of energy erupted from the construct and struck the palm of his Bracer, converging into a crackling focus of light shining within his clenched fist. He turned towards the more-injured Baron and released the energy towards it. <em>POWW! </em>The beam struck directly in the monster’s chest and seared a deep smoldering crater. It buckled and stooped to its knees while clutching its chest but was still alive.</p><p>Now was his chance!</p><p>He switched to the rocket launcher and opened fire on the injured Baron while charging towards it. <em>BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! </em>The missiles struck and blasted great chunks of flesh of its body and exposed grisly glistening tissue and ebony bones.</p><p>The Slayer entered into range of the Baron’s melee attack and leapt.</p><p>The Baron slashed at him one last time, but he keenly parried the blow and finally staggered the monster. Landing on the demon’s shoulders, the Slayer grasped one of the twisted black horns and tore it free from the skull before swinging it like a bat and smashing the Baron’s head off, its accompanying halo likewise vanishing in a burst of ashes. 57 HEALTH.</p><p>“<em>RAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>The remaining Baron roared with enraged savagery as its companion was slain, fiercely intensifying its attacks towards the Slayer. It threw one fireball after another while launching great surges of flame that soared and exploded against the Hellscape.</p><p>He swerved and strafed around the attacks which shot past into the Sanctum, vanishing into the emptiness or reducing the mountains to smoldering embers. One struck close to a Blood Prism and triggered an iridescent shield.</p><p>He needed to lessen the pressure on him from the Prisms, which were not only armored but deployed vigorous defense fields.</p><p>Phase rifle! <em>ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP!</em></p><p>The Prism folded its structure into a broad flat configuration, increasing its surface area towards the Slayer to maximize the shield facing him. He sustained the stream of plasmoids as the shield shimmered and finally shattered.</p><p>Chaingun! <em>RATATATATATATATAT!</em></p><p>The rounds passed through the construct’s hard crystal armor and organic interior, setting fire to its structure before demolishing it in a burst of shards and gore that exploded in a bright cross of crimson light.</p><p>One Prism down. Keeping an eye on the remaining Baron, the Slayer turned the chaingun towards it and opened fire. The rounds found their target but the Baron was immune to their incendiary effects and pressed on through the barrage of bullets.</p><p>Rocket launcher! <em>BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!</em></p><p>The Baron raised its hand and produced an ethereal runic shield that blocked the incoming rockets, but ceased its advance and moved around the Slayer for the duration of this guard.</p><p>Two Prisms to go. The next one folded itself into heavy attack configuration, morphing its crystal shell into the shape of an inverted pentagram and baring a small red spherical core as an infernal aura formed in preparation of its attack.</p><p>“<em>Eee…”</em></p><p>The Slayer switched to the HAR and lined a precision bolt just as the construct lowered its shield to fire its beam. <em>POW!</em></p><p>The bolt hit and the core exploded in a burst of blood, the Blood Prism quickly folding unto itself and closing with a solid <em>clang.</em></p><p>“<em>EEEEEE!!”</em></p><p>With an ear-splitting screech, the Blood Prism recoiled in mortal agony and took on a dark spiny form before its structure came apart and finally crumbled to dust.</p><p>Only one Prism left!</p><p>Desperate to kill the Slayer, the Baron reached out and forced the crystal fields under its control. It freed a multitude of blood-red spikes from their bases and reformed them into long thin lances which floated in the sanguine sky before turning to the Slayer and shooting in his direction like a macabre rain.</p><p>Chaingun! <em>RATATATATATATAT!</em></p><p>The heavy piercing rounds reduced the barrage of crystal lances to a drizzle of fine dust that rained onto the Sanctum and harmlessly chinked against the Praetor Suit.</p><p>With lightning-quick movements, the Slayer grabbed one of the incoming lances out of the air and returned it to the immobile Baron. The lance struck and embedded itself deep within the demon’s shoulder, which stumbled back and roared in excruciating agony.</p><p>“<em>Eee…</em>”</p><p>The Slayer quickly switched back to the HAR and fired a precision bolt as the last Blood Prism attacked. The shot landed and the construct’s beam missed, exploding against the terrain far in the distance, although the bolt had just grazed and cracked the Prism’s core.</p><p>But it was exposed!</p><p>Grabbing one of the last crystal lances, he switched to the Blazing Spirit and launched consecutive soul blasts at the construct to keep it hitstunned while rushing at it. The Prism morphed into a spinning forked structure and shot a volley of beams at him, which he strafed and zig zagged around.</p><p>“<em>Eee…”</em></p><p>He leapt at the Blood Prism with lance pointing straight forward. The lance passed clean through the construct’s defense field and sank into its crimson core. The Slayer fired his jump pack for one last momentum boost and fractured its heart, leaping off the crippled Prism before it impaled him in its death throes.</p><p>
  <em>Clang!</em>
</p><p>“<em>EEEEE!”</em></p><p>67 HEALTH.</p><p>“<em>RAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>The Baron of Hell roared in violent despair. Heavily injured and at the end of its power, alone against the Slayer with no other demons on the battlefield. With the last of its strength, the demon lord raised its arms to the sky and called upon its infernal creator, the Mark of Abaddon appearing above it as it implored for a blessing from the Elder God of War.</p><p>The Slayer quickly switched to the Blazing Spirit and fired all six barrels at the demon lord to finish it off, but it was too late.</p><p>A great surge of infernal power exploded unto the Hellscape and the Slayer watched a colossal rift in Hell’s reality form above the Baron, the sky erupting into many rings of black and red as the Blood Storm swirled around the vortex and the demon lord vanished within the hellish radiance.</p><p>A new legion of demons burst forth into the Kadingir Sanctum. Imps, Hellions, Velcores, Cacodemons, Hell Knights. Blood Prisms. Mancubi.</p><p>Basilisks, their great serpentine forms slithering through the rift and roaring upon locating the Slayer.</p><p>And at the center of it all, the Baron of Hell absorbed the crimson energy channeling from the rift, healing its body and restoring its power.</p><p>“<em>RAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>The radiance vanished and the Baron of Hell roared amidst the Hellscape, body fully restored and Hellfire blazing in its eyes.</p><p>The Slayer wasted no time in returning to battle, equipping the chaingun and opening fire, but his ammo was running low and with the Baron’s ferocity coursing through the horde, his HEALTH surely and steadily ticked down.</p><ol>
<li>41.</li>
</ol><p>He dodged fireballs and searing beams, caustic missiles from Mancubi and a Basilisk ramming into the Hellscape in an effort to devour him.</p><p>The Baron appeared in front of him.</p><p>He raised his Bracer in defense and the monster’s swipe glanced off it, but in its blood craze the demon resisted the power surge and immediately followed with another attack. <em>POWW! </em>The Slayer was being thrust back with every blow and could not escape the monster’s assault. <em>POWW POWW! POWW!</em></p><p>“<em>RAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>The Slayer raised his Bracer one last time.</p><p>The timing was wrong.</p><p>He watched the defensive field fade from the Bracer before the strike had even landed.</p><p>
  <em>Had the Baron purposefully baited him?</em>
</p><p>He thought he spotted something resembling a grin appear on the demon’s jaws before the blow landed and claws tore through his body.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Please have a seat.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He and another half dozen inmates groggily sat down on the steel chairs in front of the officer, handcuffs and chained boots clinking loudly, but the armed guards holding rifles to their necks remained standing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Time is short so I’ll be brief.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>At approximately 0000 Coordinated Mars Time, multiple UAC research facilities on Phobos and Deimos were attacked. Who, or what, is responsible remains unclear, but both moons are presumed lost and Mars is on full planetwide alert. Our fleets stationed at the moons, of the US military and the Union Aerospace Corporation, are gone, and no survivors are confirmed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No communications were received from either moon during the window of the attack, apart from one emergency message. The transmission is heavily corroded but was recorded and will now play.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;…We require immediate military support! Something fraggin’ evil is coming out of the gateways! Computer systems have gone berserk! The base is breached and we’re losing life support!...killing everyone! Our guns and defenses are ineffective and more than half our people are dead! We need support NOW GODDAMN IT!.. Oh my God, OH MY GOD. They’re bringing our ships down. THEY’RE BRINGING OUR GODDAMN CAPITAL SHIPS DOWN!! THOSE TWO BIG RED THINGS ARE SHOOTING OUR CRUISERS AND CARRIERS RIGHT OUT OF THE SKY!!...They’re breaking through the barricades! DO NOT COME FOR US! I REPEAT, DO NOT COME FOR US! ABANDON MARS! YOU MUST LEAVE AT- AAAAHHHH!!&gt;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A grim silence fell upon the room as the voice’s deathly scream faded away into nothingness. Some of the inmates fidgeted uncomfortably, others frowned in confusion. The Marine made no response, but the man seated to his right sat up straight, while the woman to his left whistled in surprise.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Crikey,” she muttered with no indication of concern or unease. “How about that.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The officer continued.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No further transmissions have been received nor further activity observed from either moon. Deimos has gone dark but we have established visual contact with Phobos, and plan to send a team in for recon, situation assessment, and if possible, extraction of any survivors.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Here it comes,” whispered the voice to his left.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We plan to send you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The room immediately erupted with the inmates’ protest. Responses ranged from accusations of unethical treatment to declarations of an unwillingness to die.</em>
</p><p><em>The Marine turned to the woman beside him, who replied with a sly grin. </em>Told you.</p><p>
  <em>The armed guards prodded the inmates with their rifles and shouted at them to be quiet. The officer waited calmly until the room returned to silence.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Question, sir,” inquired the woman while leaning forward.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Squad leader Ashford.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We all know why you’re sending us instead of normal troops. But have you tried unmanned recon?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Unsuccessfully. Whatever jammed the comms during the attack remains in effect, and all drones we’ve sent have failed due to interference.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“So we’ll be cut off as well,” Ashford affirmed while resting her chin on her hand. “A single unit of six max-security military inmates sent to investigate an attack of unknown origin. No comms to report back or call for extraction. Plenty of guns, expensive equipment, and possibly escape pods.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bugger me if that’s a great idea.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You were brought here because you were the best at what you did. For the moment, your past crimes are irrelevant. You’re all highly trained and skilled professionals, and your psychological profiles have been deemed acceptable for this mission.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I won’t lie. The fact is, this is a highly dangerous operation with a considerable chance of failure. Two of the best defended locations in the Solar System have been lost to an attack of unknown nature. Command needs an assessment ASAP to formulate the next course of action, and you’re the only platoon with spec ops experience for fifty million miles, felons or not.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We may be felons,” spoke the man to the Marine’s right in a low but firm tone, “but we still have rights. Our cases were closed, our death sentences pardoned, and you can’t simply throw us away to die like dogs.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My men and I are not expendable.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The other inmates clamored in agreement, but the officer quickly rushed to quiet their complaints.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Private Osborne, no one is throwing you or anyone else away like dogs. You have the full choice to refuse this mission.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The turmoil immediately died.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“…Choice?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Command is offering this platoon the opportunity to carry out this operation, in exchange for certain accommodations to your present circumstances.”</em>
</p><p><em>“What accommodations could you offer us in this shithole colony?” Osborne asked in irritation. “Monthly leaves to the toxin refineries? Lifetime supply of nutrient paste? </em>Visitations<em>? I have two hundred years of off-Earth imprisonment with no parole or outside contact.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“I have three,” Ashford whispered on the verge of laughter.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Look, gentlemen – and lady…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ashford winked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We don’t have much time, and Command is willing to negotiate after the operation is complete, but they’re ready to transfer you to less-restricted installations with more favorable commodities, limited employment and access to commercial utilities-”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Joy,” Ashford sighed as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. “Lab-grown meat and that diluted piss which Americans call beer.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“-and supervised use of pre-recorded communications to Earth.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The inmates murmured to each other in surprise. Ashford blinked and raised her eyebrows.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Phone rights, you say?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Supervised and pre-recorded, but yes.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hmm.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Time is running out, people. I need an answer now.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“…I could do with a phone call home. Got a mate I haven’t talked to in ages.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Huh. What do you say, boys?” Ashford asked the platoon while leaning back on her chair. “Up for one last ride?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“…I’m down.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Sign me the hell up.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Sure. Why not? Maybe now they’ll let me watch restricted flicks in the rec room.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ashford turned to face the Marine but she already knew his answer, and they both nodded in agreement.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She leaned forward to look at a doubtful Osborne, who remained silent.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Phillip?” She asked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The private glowered but reluctantly sighed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Fine. I’ll do it.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We’re in.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Roger that,” replied the officer. “You’ll be escorted to your briefing room where you’ll be given mission details, conditions, and instructions.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Good luck, marines. And Godspeed. Dismissed.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>With urging from the armed guards, the six inmates got to their feet and loudly shambled out of the room. Just as the Marine thought back to the person he would call as soon as the mission was over – and thank for sparing his life – he felt an elbow at his side.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t worry, big guy,” Ashford gleamed. “I’ve got your back.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Marine was almost a half meter taller than the squad leader and had to look down to make eye contact, but he cracked a smirk, both out of camaraderie and uneasiness. Ashford responded with a smile as bright as it was nefarious.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Don’t worry, big guy. I’ve got your back.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>1 HP.</p><p>Berserk. Activated.</p><p>The Doom Slayer erupted in a blinding beam of scarlet lightning as flames embroiled his entire body and rage flooded his mind.</p><p>Pure, raw, unfettered rage.</p><p>His HEALTH instantly rocketed to 100 and he rose suspended into the sanguine sky of the Kadingir Sanctum as the tones from his Resonators climaxed into a grand booming choir and the demonic horde veered away from the overwhelming surge of power.</p><p>He recoiled and grimaced, his rage scorching at his mind and something slicing its way from within, something like twisted blades stabbing through his body.</p><p>He stared as his hands twisted and contorted into a horrific form, his fingers morphing to become long wickedly sharp claws that tore through the Praetor Suit and gleamed with a scarlet aura as his Dark Claw rune came into power.</p><p>The Slayer would have yelled in fury and agony, but the Chains that bound his lips remained sealed as they were at the First Battle, and he voiced nothing.</p><p>So, he attacked.</p><p>He Rampaged through the horde and blindly slashed at everything that moved in his crazed fury. He slashed at a Velcore and dismembered it in a single swipe. He slashed at a pinky and reduced its armor and body to long hemorrhaging rinds. At a Hellion, a Blood Knight, a Cacodemon, one demon after another, all dissected and severed in a single fell blow.</p><p>“<em>Eee…”</em></p><p>The Slayer charged at the Blood Prism preparing to fire its beam.</p><p>“<em>PEWW!!”</em></p><p>He swerved around the blinding beam as it struck and vaporized a dozen demons behind him. He leapt at the crystalline construct and swiped a clawed hand at it, slicing through shield and armor and shredding its core in a single slash.</p><p>“<em>EEE-”</em></p><p>The Prism almost erupted in dark glossy spines before its contained energy burst through its shell and exploded in a bright scarlet cross, leaving a large smoking crater amid the frantic legions.</p><p>“<em>ROOARR-WAAHH!”</em></p><p>A Mancubus fired its bile at the Slayer and washed away countless demons beneath a wave of acid, and its attack landed and began to eat away at the Slayer’s HEALTH.</p><p>This only made him madder.</p><p>He charged through demons and bile alike in his ravenous bloodthirst, his glaring eyes set only for the Mancubus. He swiped his claws in its direction even before arriving close to it, but the claws launched crimson waves that pierced through the Mancubus’s armor, severing an arm cannon in a single strike. He slashed again. The next wave sliced open its belly and spilled its foul innards onto the Hellscape, and the Mancubus roared in agony. The Slayer finally reached the Mancubus, and effectively passed through it with a single swipe, already long gone before the upper half of the demon’s body even hit the ground.</p><p>Another Mancubus launched fireballs at him. Too far to attack it with his claws, the Slayer rushed for a nearby Velcore and buried his claws in it. The impaled Velcore shrieked as its body began to deform under the malignant power of Dark Claw, liquifying into a writhing black-and-red mass.</p><p>The Slayer tossed the Velcore’s remains at the Mancubus, which soared through the air before impacting and immediately erupting into a barrage of long spiked tendrils. These impaled dozens of nearby demons and harpooned them towards the Mancubus before exploding in a blast of arcane crimson energy.</p><p>He impaled further nearby demons and tossed them as one biobomb after another, the battlefield darkening beneath the shadow of the tendril barrages and the downpour of flying body parts.</p><p>“<em>ROAH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH!”</em></p><p>A Basilisk slithered in the sky and doubled back around in approach of the Slayer. He leapt off from the ground of the Kadingir Sanctum towards the colossal serpent and swung his claws at it, the attack cleaving through the Basilisk’s shell and almost slicing its head off. The demon roared as thick black blood flooded from its fatal injury and its head hung limply from its sputtering body segments. The Slayer landed on the Basilisk’s horns and brought both clawed hands down on the beast, utterly shredding its massive head and falling back to the Hellscape on the collapsing corpse. The Basilisk’s body broke apart and its segments crashed down on the demonic legions as the Slayer leapt off and sliced his way across the mob.</p><p>“<em>ROAH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH AH!”</em></p><p>Another Basilisk roared as it charged at the Slayer, bringing its great jaws down onto the terrain and cleaving a trail of devastation across the horde towards him.</p><p>The Slayer had had enough.</p><p>He Rampaged towards the monster at full speed as it bared its many mandibles and its flaming maw, leaping off in a great soaring arc and passing directly into the Basilisk’s throat.</p><p>Not even a moment later, massive fiery claw marks appeared on the serpent’s shell as something sliced its way from within. They stretched the entire length of the demon’s body and twisted around in great gyrating motions, its entire structure crumbling into massive ribbons of shell and tissue before the Slayer finally erupted from the back, Suit and claws glistening with demon viscera.</p><p>Most of the horde was either eradicated or fled, but the Slayer had one more demon left to exterminate before his Berserk expired. He searched throughout the fleeing masses for the last Baron of Hell before finding it moving away from him, still tossing fireballs and flame waves in his direction, and immediately headed for it.</p><p>“<em>RAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!”</em></p><p>The Slayer strafed around one fireball and another, laying waste to the Hellscape and remaining demons as much as he did as he charged for the Baron. The demon lord gathered Hellfire in its hands and released it in a thundering smash that quaked the ground and expanded in a flaming shockwave. The Slayer continued in his Ramage and willingly passed through the blast in his ravenous fury to annihilate the Baron, paying no mind to the large chunk of HEALTH the attack took away. He had almost arrived at the Baron but chose not to use Dark Claw’s long-range attacks. He was going to make it personal.</p><p>The Baron of Hell raised its arms in futile defense, and for the briefest moment something resembling fear appeared upon its face.</p><p>The Slayer raised a clawed hand and in a single swipe sliced away the Baron’s legs. Another swipe reduced its torso and arms to dark ribbons of shredded flesh. He raised both hands one last time, and the Baron’s decapitated head gaped in deathly terror before all the Slayer’s claws destroyed it.</p><p>His rage expended, the Slayer recoiled in agony as his skin crackled with scarlet lightning and released his fury in a violent explosion, scorching the mountainsides, vaporizing the last demonic stragglers, and searing the scales of the remaining Basilisks as they slithered away into the sanguine sky.</p><p>He stood silently amidst the smoldering Hellscape of the Kadingir Sanctum while breathing deeply, watching the Blood Storm dissipate overhead. With the power of Berserk expired, the Dark Claw rune returned to dormancy and his hands were back to normal. He listed to the solemn and haunting choir produced by his Suit’s Resonators, chanting in worship and adoration of power untold.</p><p>He was alive.</p><p>He had arrived at the Black Pyramid, fended off legions of demonic beasts, slain two Barons of Hell, and was alive. Perhaps he was not as weak as he imagined.</p><p>A notification appeared on his visor’s HUD, and he turned to read it.</p><p>SAVING THROW RESTORED – GET ONE CHANCE TO SURVIVE A DEATH BLOW</p><p>RESETS ON DEATH</p><p>Saving Throw. One of the Slayer’s more advantageous powers, and one that had saved his skin more times than once. Considering his relatively low defensive capacities, it was useful when fighting against the higher powers deep within Hell.</p><p>Speaking of which, how did he ever kill those two Barons of Hell back on Phobos?</p><p>He paused for a moment as he dredged through long-forgotten memories, buried beneath ages of violence and suffering across worlds and realms.</p><p>He didn’t have the Praetor Suit back then. He didn’t have its armor or ammo fabricators, its weapon matrix or Vanguard Bracer. And he certainly didn’t have any of his powers that he now possessed. His strength, his speed. His ability to draw strength from his fallen foes, resist the dark forces of Hell, strike fear into the heart of evil. The power of immortality. He had possessed none of it.</p><p>How the hell did one man manage to slay two major demon lords with the power to fell capital ships, overtake two highly fortified moons, command entire legions and rend mountains asunder?</p><p>He was surprised he had never actually considered this before.</p><p>He had the Retribution. The UAC had possessed plasma rifles and portable rocket launchers back then. Med pack technology had just been invented, even modular armor plating. Body armor at that time was nothing spectacular but it could resist the odd imp and zombie.</p><p>But…two Barons of Hell?</p><p>There was a gun, now that he thought about it. A prototype heavy plasma cannon, a 2700 series, perhaps. What was its name?</p><p>The FOG?</p><p>No, that wasn’t it. Its real name was an unpronounceable dozen-syllable mess concocted by the science geeks, though the jarheads often called it by a coarse but reverent title, which he couldn’t seem to recall.</p><p>He sighed in defeat.</p><p>Well, whatever it was, it had certainly been one very large gun.</p><p>The Slayer realized he’d become awfully reminiscent ever since awaking on Mars, far more thoughtful and reflective than he’d ever been before.</p><p>Scoffing, he broke out of his quiet introspection and dusted off the rubble and gore on his Praetor Suit, equipping the combat shotgun and feeling its comforting weight on his hands before turning and calmly walking towards the Black Pyramid.</p><p>Ever since Phobos, his mind had been a broken mess of rage and pain, existing only to fight, to kill, to destroy. His nights were long ordeals of terrible nightmares, and everywhere he looked he saw the encroaching claws and eyes of demon-kind.</p><p>There’d been a few times in which he’d broken through his madness, maintained sanity and focus long enough to accomplish higher goals. When he arrived before the races that would one day become the Corrax Alliance and guided them on the path for survival. When he’d arrived at Argent D’Nur, climbed the ranks from outlander to fellow soldier. Making brothers, breaking bread, and shedding blood alongside the Night Sentinels long before receiving his power.</p><p>When he met <em>him.</em></p><p>The Slayer’s heart panged with a sensation he’d not felt in ages, and even if he could speak he would have been unable to describe it.</p><p>He who’d shown him how to calm his mind, exist in the present, focus his anger. Gifted him his power.</p><p>His guardian angel.</p><p>The Slayer scowled at the child-like thought as he reached the Pyramid and began climbing it, minding his footing as he hiked and jumped over the deep gouges on its battle-scarred surface.</p><p>So much for that. If there was anything the Slayer had lost in his ageless slumber within that cursed sarcophagus, it was his focus. He’d never been distracted or inattentive in battle before. Or worse, <em>contemplative </em>of all things. Back then he’d been keen, sharp, a ruthless killing machine as efficient as he was deadly. Whatever the Elder Gods had done to him, they’d taken that edge away.</p><p>…Or had they?</p><p>He still had his anger. He still felt that ceaseless need to break and maim the bones and flesh of demonkind. To <em>rip and tear. </em>He still had that drive, but it was no longer the one thing that occupied his mind.</p><p>The Night Sentinels on Argent D’Nur. His squad mates on Phobos. When was the last time he thought about them? Remembered their faces, their names, their voices? How he lived and fought alongside them? Found their mangled bodies broken by the hands of demons?</p><p>For those he ever managed to track down. He’d only ever found three of his squad mates on Phobos, one suspended by his own viscera and another’s still-twitching body impaled on a piece of rebar. The last one was…fortunately dead after what they’d done to him. Ashford and Osborne were nowhere to be found.</p><p>Had he forgotten what was truly important? Perhaps he had forgotten what he fought for?</p><p>Had he forgotten <em>her?</em></p><p>The Slayer arrived at the massive breach left on the surface of the Pyramid by the Retribution. He placed his hand on the edge of the aperture, feeling the lingering energy of the broken seals that had imprisoned him for so long. Absolute seals of both infernal and celestial origin, used by the highest powers in Creation to imprison the greatest force of destruction that ever existed, and Samuel Hayden had broken them all.</p><p>How did the cyborg ever do it?</p><p>The Slayer slowly took his hand of the rough stone before cocking his shotgun and stepping into the Pyramid.</p><p>He walked along a single long and straight corridor, footsteps echoing loudly across the featureless stone walls.</p><p>No matter how great their power, the Heresiarchs had not imprisoned him on their own. They’d received help from above. From the others<em>. </em>The cursed slumber they all placed him in had greatly placated his rage and calmed the Slayer down, that was for sure. Had that been the plan all along?</p><p>Whose plan was it?</p><p>The Slayer arrived at the heart of the Pyramid.</p><p>He stepped into a wide chamber whose every surface lay covered with strange shimmering runes and images. The spells of confinement, the seals of the five Heresiarchs, and the Slayer’s own Mark. Ethereal symbols filled the air as they floated from cracks in the ground, occasionally taking the form of vacant screaming faces, though the Slayer could sense no life or thought within the Black Pyramid. But these were not what he focused on.</p><p>In the center of the chamber was the sixth UAC ship, its structure unfolded into an arching manifold that stretched throughout the Pyramid’s interior. Despite its strange appearance, it appeared intact and unharmed from Hell’s dark magics. The interdimensional drive had been disengaged from the ship’s structure and retrofitted to form a provisional portal device. The armored body of the last red guard sat motionlessly by it, its helmet and face gouged out by its own hands. Apart from these two objects, the chamber was empty.</p><p>Feeling the quiet lingering air of a human presence still echoing within the Pyramid, he widened his senses one last time.</p><p>Within the chamber, the Slayer beheld the towering aura of Samuel Hayden standing stoically above a sealed stone sarcophagus. The cyborg paced softly around it, as if wary and apprehensive of what lay within, yet intrigued and fascinated.</p><p>Hayden reached out, and gently placed his hand on the sarcophagus. The Slayer thought he could see faint arcs of lightning spread from his hand to the inscribed stone surface.</p><p>What did the cyborg have to do with all this?</p><p>How did he find him? How did he break the Pyramid’s seals? How did he return?</p><p>…</p><p>The Slayer listlessly slumped his shoulders. Perhaps he really had lost it.</p><p>If he kept standing still like an idiot, doing nothing but thinking to himself, he might as well build a new sarcophagus and go lie that one too. Perhaps he’d do a better job of detaining himself than the Elder Gods ever did!</p><p>He turned to the portal control terminal situated beside the transporter ring.</p><p>FORWARD RESEARCH STATION TELEPORT CONTROL</p><p>TARGET DESTINATION: UAC FACILITY RECEIVER</p><p>ACTIVATE PORTAL?</p><p>Focus, focus, focus. All things considered, the Slayer’s cursed slumber now allowed a unique opportunity for growth. Recovery of his old powers and arsenal was a given, but he now had the chance to recover his focus too. Not just immediate combat focus but long-term as well.</p><p>If the Argent Fracture had been breached, Hell would send forward command units to Mars. No doubt a few minor Summoner-class demon lords, but perhaps a pair of Barons as well. The Barons would settle somewhere on the planet and command the entirety of the invading force, while the Summoners would begin reverse-engineering the UAC’s ships to build vehicles conducive to demonic travel across space. With sights for Earth.</p><p>First things first. The Slayer would have to find the Martian Spaceport and destroy any remaining human vessels to slow down the demon lords’ progress. Next came locating the hidden Summoners and Barons, dealing with them, and finally finding a way to close off the Martian Fracture for good.</p><p>That settled his long-term focus. At least for the near future.</p><p>As for short-term momentary focus, it was just a matter of time and practice, he supposed. As it’d always been. He’d been out of the sarcophagus on Mars for what, a few hours? As long as he stayed disciplined and stuck to his old routine, he’d be back in shape in no time.</p><p>The Slayer stepped into the transporter ring and reached for the control terminal.</p><p>He was going to make things right. For the Sentinels, for the Verimor, for the Corrax Alliance. For his fallen brothers, for his slain squadmates, for Ashford and Osborne. For her. And for Earth.</p><p>He exhaled. Here goes nothing.</p><p>He tapped the panel and triggered the portal activation button.</p><p>ERROR: SPACE-TIME SYNCHRONIZATION TO SELECTED DESTINATION NOT FOUND</p><p>His outstretched hand slowly clenched into a fist as the Slayer grit his teeth and trembled with rising fury.</p><p>He pulled back in preparation to smash the panel before noticing the second message on the screen.</p><p>REFRESH TRANSPORTER MATRIX?</p><p>The Slayer closed his eyes and shakingly tapped the refresh prompt, struggling to maintain his composure with every ounce of his will.</p><p>ACTIVE SPACE-TIME TRANSPORTER NODE FOUND!</p><p>TARGET DESTINATION: MARS SPACEPORT</p><p>ACTIVATE PORTAL?</p><p>…</p><p>The Slayer’s rage immediately evaporated though not without leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.</p><p>Whatever. As long as he could leave this godforsaken place already.</p><p>He tapped the activation button and looked on as the retrofitted portal device whirred to life, the drive core spinning above him as energy surged from the ship’s power banks into the expanding vortex.</p><p>The Slayer poised himself in decisive anticipation as he was flung through the rift between dimensions.</p><p>He was going back to the Mortal Realm.</p><p>Back to Mars.</p><p>And when he did, there was going to be Hell to pay.</p><p>*          *          *</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. (Links)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>Day of Wrath </em>is primarily posted on <a href="https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/day-of-wrath-doom-2016-eternal-rewrite.846388/">SpaceBattles.</a><br/><br/><br/>Everyone is invited to join our <a href="https://discord.com/invite/hcvAr23">Discord</a>.<br/><br/><br/>I post story/project updates and other news to my social media:<br/><a href="https://twitter.com/infinity_pilot">Twitter</a><br/><a href="https://www.instagram.com/infinity_pilot/">Instagram</a><br/><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/infinitypilot/">Reddit</a><br/><a href="https://www.deviantart.com/infinitypilot">DeviantArt</a><br/><a href="https://www.artstation.com/infinitypilot">ArtStation</a><br/><br/><br/>I'm also moderator of<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/DankDoomMemes/"> r/DankDoomMemes</a>! Come check us out!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. (Credits)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Title Page</strong><br/>
DoW's cover was commissioned by me and drawn by my good friend <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Nate_jw">Nate Welch</a>.<br/>
<br/>
<strong>E1M5<br/>
</strong>The first illustration is a piece called "<a href="http://www.deviantart.com/julian-faylona/art/Vision-of-the-Lone-Tree-831015769">Vision of the Lone Tree</a>" by<a href="https://www.deviantart.com/julian-faylona"> Julian Faylona</a>, my personal favorite artist. This artwork inspired the Tree of Perdition in E1M5 and was used with permission. <br/>
The second and fourth illustrations were commissioned by me and drawn by <a href="https://twitter.com/meforya">@meforya</a>.<br/>
The third illustration is from The Art of Doom and was drawn by <a href="https://twitter.com/jonlane_art">Jon Lane</a>.</p><p><strong>E1M6</strong><br/>
The first illustration is "<a href="https://www.deviantart.com/julian-faylona/art/Cisterns-of-Nergal-681342285">Cisterns of Nergal</a>" and the fifth is "<a href="https://www.deviantart.com/julian-faylona/art/False-Dawn-831836333">False Dawn</a>," both by <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/julian-faylona">Julian Faylona</a>; used with permission.<br/>
The second illustration is "<a href="https://www.artstation.com/artwork/yb6PN3">Rivers of Pain</a>" by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/isissangare">Isis Sangaré</a>; used with permission.<br/>
The third illustration is fan art of classic Doom's Blur Artifact by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/artwork/gJdYbQ">Ian Nelsen</a>; used with permission.<br/>
The fourth illustration is a concept Hellscape from The Art of Doom, by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/colingeller">Collin Geller</a>.<br/>
The sixth illustration is "<a href="https://www.artstation.com/artwork/9mkDZR">Demon of the burning sun</a>" by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/warium">Henrik Hökby</a>; used with permission.<br/>
And the last illustration was commissioned by me and drawn by <a href="https://twitter.com/elsasmith646">@elsasmith646</a>.</p>
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